Macross: Dancing In The Skies
by Raiden-sama
Summary: The least likely type of love you could imagine...Valkyrie action, comedy, and romance abound. NOTE: It's set in the Macross 7 timeframe, but since it doesn't take place on City 7, it doesn't count as a 7 fanfic. *FINISHED*
1. Friendly Competition

__

Amidst the blue skies, a link from past to future.   
The sheltering wings of the protector...   
  
Chapter One: Friendly Competition   
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"Okay, John, explain this to me again…"   
  
The skies over the colony world of Sweetwater were as clear and beautiful as a cut sapphire. Rock formations dotted the arid landscape, as well as several impact craters from an asteroid shower that had long since passed into history. The only thing breaking the serenity of the area was the thunder of turbine engines. In the sky, a pair of VF-1X-Plus Enhanced Valkyries sliced through the open air.   
  
"It's just a mock dogfight, Tommy. Relax! Remember what I told you."   
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't panic and don't forget I'm in a Valkyrie. I got it, I got it!"   
  
"Good. Well, let's do this. Break formation and come back around."   
  
"Roger that." The two U.N. Spacy aircraft rolled knife-edge and broke away from each other. They circled around until they were coming towards each other, but one at a slightly higher altitude than the other. As they passed, John made the call.   
  
"We're merged, fight's on."   
  
"Roger that, fight's on." Tommy immediately made a hard vertical climb, trying to gain a height advantage.   
  
"The old loop-de-loop trick? C'mon, Tommy, give me some credit!" John's aircraft converted to GERWALK mode, pulled into a hover, then spun around with its nose pointed right up at Tommy.   
  
"Oh, no! Uh…flares, flares!!" Tommy hit a button, and his Valkyrie released a few flares to interfere with John's targeting system.   
  
"Darn it…not bad, buddy. Here I come!" Converting back to fighter mode, John's aircraft chased after Tommy's. Every time Tommy tried to break away, John was still on his tail.   
  
_"…Jeez…I'm just not good enough to get away from him…!"_, thought Tommy dejectedly. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head. Tommy rolled his fighter 180 degrees, his lift vector pointing right at the ground. He made a hard break for the ground, shattering the sound barrier.   
  
"Whoa! Where the heck are you going?!", cried John.   
  
"Getting a little closer to Mother Nature, that's all."   
  
"Yeah, and if you're not careful you're going to be splattered all over Mother Nature's face along with your bird!!"   
  
Tommy leveled out after nearly reaching the ground, and switched to GERWALK mode.   
  
"All right, Tommy, I warned you…!" John dived for the deck after Tommy, also going to GERWALK.   
  
"Catch me if you can, old pal!", said Tommy as he ducked into an area between several rock formations. The GERWALK mode, which operated in a similar manner to a helicopter, was perfect for such tight areas.   
  
"Tommy, I am going to hand you your head!!", said John, unable to suppress a small chuckle. His fighter pulled into the area and hovered after Tommy.   
  
_"All righty…if I position myself right here, I'll be ready for him."_ Tommy hovered his fighter right by a rock face. _"He should pop right through that notch…and then he's mine…!"_   
  
Suddenly, an alarm rang out in his cockpit.   
  
"Wha…lock warning?!"   
  
"Surprise, buddy!" John's fighter had come around the side of the rock instead of the through the notch. He was right on Tommy; there was no escape.   
  
"Locked on, missiles away!!" The mock missile signals were transferred to Tommy's fighter, sounding the kill alarm in his cockpit. Tommy sighed dejectedly.   
  
"…And I thought I had it that time…I really did…!"   
  
Meanwhile, in a house several miles from the local airbase…   
  
"Whew…that was a good nap. Haven't slept that well in…oh, God, I'm almost late for work!!"   
  
The green-haired woman quickly got out of bed and rushed to get herself presentable.   
  
"Okay, where's my gloves…better skip breakfast…c'mon, get ON, you silly…WHOOPS! AAAAAHHHH!! Oww…that really hurt…!" Eventually, she was ready, still rubbing her forehead. She had to run to catch the transport as it was leaving her home.   
  
"Wait!!! Don't leave me…!!!!" Luckily, it stopped and she was able to get on.   
  
"Sorry about that…sorry, sorry…!" She took her seat and groaned to herself.   
  
"Damn, Kina, that's the third time in a row you nearly missed the transport!", said the woman next to her.   
  
"Please don't remind me, Aivea; I feel bad enough as it is. Say, do I have a mark on my forehead?"   
  
"Uh…nope, I don't see anything."   
  
Kina smiled a little. "Whew. I fell trying to get ready in time. I feel like such a klutz."   
  
"Oh, come on, don't say that."   
  
"I know, I know…I AM a klutz…"   
  
After a bit, the transport stopped at the base. As Kina got off, she stumbled on the step a little.   
  
"Whoa! I'm okay, I've got it, I'm okay!" She sighed as she followed the other workers. As they were going in, the sound of jet engines could be heard.   
  
"Hey, what's that?", asked Kina.   
  
"Must be a couple of Valkyries coming in; they've got a squadron or three here," replied Aivea.   
  
"Oh. Y'know, I've never actually seen one of those up close."   
  
"Huh. Really? Ooh, hey, c'mon, we're gonna fall behind." The two women headed inside.   
  
A few minutes later, Tommy and John were back on land.   
  
"Man…I still don't have it down!", grumbled Tommy as he took a sip of his beer.   
  
"Don't let it get you down, Tommy. You've…got your whole career ahead of you. You'll improve!", said John with a slight slur.   
  
"Ugh…that's what you always say, John! I haven't gotten any better since basic pilot training!"   
  
"Oh, please, give yourself SOME credit. You had the right idea with that…deck dive and going to GERWALK mode, you just didn't follow it through right. You're getting better, man. You just…aren't seeing it."   
  
"Yeah, that's true. So, what's on the agenda for tonight?"   
  
"Tonight, we're going to scout out the loading area and find you a girl."   
  
"Man, don't you think about anything else?"   
  
"…No, not really. Anyway…a friend of a friend told me that there were some single girls down there. We'll look around, pick one out, and then…you'll ask them out when they're on break…which is in 2 hours and 43 minutes exactly, by the way…"   
  
Tommy groaned. "For the love of…all right, but please be SOBER when that time comes. You know what happened last time…!"   
  
"Okay, so I had a little too much to drink that time, sue me. Just have…faith in me, okay?"   
  
"…John, you're really something."   
  
"You'd better…believe it."   
  
_"…But I don't know exactly what,"_ thought Tommy.


	2. Just an Accident Waiting to Happen

Chapter Two: Just an Accident Waiting to Happen   
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The loading area was ugly and gloomy, even with the ambience of workers doing their thing. Crates both small and large were stacked all over the place. Forklifts, construction mechs, and quite a few Zentraedi workers were all doing the main lifting work. Suddenly, a loud whistle blew. Break time.   
  
"Okay, we're here," said John. "Did you remember to get yourself good and presentable?"   
  
"Yes, yes, I did. Let's just get this over with; I don't want to humiliate myself any more than I'm going to trying to pull stunts like these."   
  
John sighed. "Will you relax, man! You're going to do fine-please quit being such a damn pessimist. Now, let's go."   
  
With John's carefully chosen alibi of "We're just going to look around for a bit," and a flash of their ID badges, they entered the loading area.   
  
"Son of a…it's pretty hot in here!", said Tommy. "Must be the dark walls retaining all the heat that comes in through the windows."   
  
"Just don't sweat so much you literally make a stinky impression, okay?"   
  
"10-4. Hey, do you know where the workers take their breaks?"   
  
John blinked. "Uh…what?" Tommy stopped and turned to him.   
  
"You DO know where it is, don't you?"   
  
"Uh…can I get back to you on that?", said John with a sweatdrop   
  
Tommy's face twisted into anger. "WHAT!? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING!!??" He bopped John on the head.   
  
"Oww! Hey, no fair, I outrank you! You can't do that!"   
  
"Thanks. Thanks a lot, LEAD. You've really done it this time…!", said Tommy with a scowl.   
  
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Jeez…give me a break, will you?!"   
  
Tommy sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up like that."   
  
"No biggie. But we'd better start looking around…"   
  
Meanwhile, in another part of the area, Kina was hard at work. Since the full-sized Zentraedi workers took their breaks two hours later than the humans and micronized Zentraedi, she and her friends were still doing their jobs.   
  
"Okay, Kina?", said one of the Zentraedi foremen. Kina turned from what she was doing and faced the foreman.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I need someone to take these metal rods over to D Section. You up for it?"   
  
Kina's eyes lit up. "Of course I am! You can count on me!"   
  
"Uh…great. Get to it, then…"   
  
"Right!" She immediately picked up the load and slung it under her arm.   
  
_"Please, please, please don't let her drop those things…!"_   
  
At that moment, Tommy and John were now lost in the loading area.   
  
"John, this is really getting silly. Let's just get out of here. They're re-running Nadesico tonight; and I am NOT missing it!"   
  
"You and your anime obsession…look, just a few more minutes, okay? If we don't find it, we'll punch out. Deal?"   
  
"…Deal." They continued on. Suddenly, they felt a slight tremor in the ground.   
  
"Hey, what's that?", asked Tommy.   
  
"Dunno. Sounds kinda like footsteps," replied John. "But the only way that's possible is if there's a-" They turned. Right down the hall, they saw a female Zentraedi walking right towards them.   
  
"-Zentraedi coming towards us," finished John. "Let's clear the path so we don't get stepped on."   
  
"I hear that." They immediately got out of the woman's walking path.   
  
As she walked, Kina still had that enthusiastic (and perhaps just a bit ditzy) smile on her face.   
  
_"They're finally starting to put some faith in me!"_, she thought to herself. _"Maybe I really am getting less clumsy!!"_   
  
Tommy couldn't help but stare up at the giantess. John looked at him quizzically.   
  
"Man, you're staring like you ain't never seen a full-sized Zentraedi before."   
  
Tommy turned to him. "I have, but not this close. It's like…looking up at a Destroid, or a Valkyrie in soldier mode."   
  
"True, but you still look like an idiot…"   
  
Tommy gave him a slightly irritated look, and rolled his eyes.   
  
Kina still had that smile. _"Maybe I'll get transferred to a better job…or promoted to a better one! This is going to be so-"_ Her train of thought was cut off by the small puddle of water that had formed under a leaky pipe as she slipped on it.   
  
"Not good!" said Tommy.   
  
"Get back!", cried John. Kina's 40-foot-plus frame started to fall forward like a cut tree.   
  
"Oh, no! AAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" She impacted the ground with an incredible impact that only her being a Zentraedi allowed her to withstand. "Ouch…", she whimpered, her voice muffled by the floor.   
  
"Tommy, look out!!", shouted John. Tommy looked up…and turned white. Kina's load of rods was about to fall right on top of him!   
  
"God help me…!", was all Tommy could manage to get out as the rods fell. He closed his eyes, threw up his arms instinctively (even though it was a futile gesture), and braced for the end.   
  
"…Huh?" Tommy re-opened his eyes. He was still alive, though his heart was going so fast it could have outran an Excalibur. He looked up, and nearly fainted. The rods were seemingly hovering in midair…until Tommy noticed the set of gloved hands holding them up.   
  
"Whew…I caught them!", said Kina. "That sure was luck-GAH!!!" Suddenly, one of the rods hit her right on top of the head, causing tears to well up in her eyes. "Eep…ouch again…!" She set the rods down, right behind where Tommy was standing, and rubbed her head. As she did this, her eyes suddenly focused forward…right on Tommy. They just stayed there, staring into each other's eyes.   
  
_"She's…beautiful…"_   
  
_"Who is that…?"_   
  
Kina was the first to break the silence. "Uh…hey, are you okay? I'm really sorry about that, really! Y-you're not going to do anything like press charges, or anything, are you? I can't really afford a lawyer…" She continued on like that for about a minute before Tommy could speak.   
  
"…Whoa, whoa…t-take it easy…I'm-I'm okay, don't worry!"   
  
"…so if you'd just…huh? You're all right? Oh, I'm so glad!"   
  
Tommy tried to speak again, but nothing came out. John quickly ran up to him.   
  
"C'mon, Tommy, we'd better go. Uh, don't worry, Miss…?"   
  
"Revdirgea."   
  
"Revdirgea. He'll be fine, he just needs to get calmed down and whatnot. Uh…if it's not a problem…you didn't see us here?"   
  
"Uh…okay."   
  
"Thanks. C'mon, buddy, let's book it…"


	3. The Great Rocket Sled Training Incident

Chapter Three: The Great Rocket Sled Training Incident   
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The next morning, Tommy got out of bed more sluggishly than usual. He'd had some difficulty sleeping after the events of the previous day. After washing up and getting all set for the next work day, he started for the door. Just as he reached for the handle, the phone rang. Grumbling to himself, he went over and picked it up.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Hey, man!" It was John. "Wasn't sure if you were going to be up yet or not, so I called."   
  
"Uh-huh. Well, that's all well and nice, but I've gotta get going-"   
  
"Hold on. There's one more thing. Does the name UNSS _Valencia_ mean anything to you?"   
  
"Northampton-class frigate. What about it?"   
  
"She's in orbit around Sweetwater right now…and we're going to be on it."   
  
Tommy blinked. "What for? They transferring us to her air wing?"   
  
"Sort of. We won't exactly be staying long, if you know what I mean…"   
  
"Hmm…oh, no…you don't mean…!"   
  
"VF Rocket Sleds, buddy! We get to train with the Rocket Sleds! Cool, huh?"   
  
"Oh, yeah, I've always wanted to be shot out of a missile tube at Mach 4.4...I'll see you later, man."   
  
A few hours later, Tommy, John, and the other two members of their flight were in the _Valencia's_ briefing room along with the rest of their squadron. The squadron commander, Lt. Commander Joseph Ironsides, was standing in front of a huge monitor wall.   
  
"All right, people. Get used to your surroundings, because you won't be seeing them for much longer. As you've already known, the _Valencia_ has brought along a few surplus sleds, and you lucky hotshots get to ride in 'em. Lt. Peterson?"   
  
John stood up. "Sir?"   
  
"Your flight goes first. We've set up a bunch of targets in several sectors out in this region you see here. You're attacking Sector A-3. You'll encounter targets on the ground, and air threats as well. Be ready."   
  
"Yes, sir." John sat back down.   
  
Meanwhile, back on Sweetwater, Kina was waiting for the heavy transport that would take her home. Zentraedi hours were murder, or they were to her, at least. Everybody else didn't really seem to mind. In fact, they had always looked at her like she was nuts every time she complained about the long hours. But that wasn't on her mind now. Instead, she was thinking about the conversation she'd had in the foreman's office a few minutes after her misadventure with the metal rods…   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"What am I going to do with you?", he had said. "You've got the worst record in terms of packages dropped and damaged of anybody here. I'm sorry, but something's got to give here!"   
  
"But I always try my best. It's true, I'm a little clumsy, but…"   
  
"A little?! Thank God you didn't fall on anybody, or drop those rods on someone! Look, I really, really don't want to do this but…either you get your act together, or I'm gonna have to give you your pink slip!"   
  
Upon hearing this, Kina started to cry in waterfalls. "No, please! Please don't fire me! I need this job to get by! You've got to give me another chance! WAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
The foreman was, naturally, quite eager to get her quiet again. "Kina…KINA! Please stop crying, for the love of…please!?" She quieted down, but was still sniffling. "Look, you're not fired yet. Just…I'll tell you what. Take tomorrow off, and…I don't know, do SOMETHING to fix those butterfingers of yours, okay?"   
  
"Thank…you.", she sniffed.   
  
"And, for the love of God, take a tissue…"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Kina sighed to herself at the memory. _"I'll never be able to do anything right. If he'd known about that poor guy I almost squashed, I'd be out on my butt now. I wonder who he was, anyway…"_ Her train of thought was broken by the sound of the transport pulling up to the stop. She boarded, and took a seat.   
  
Up aboard the _Valencia_, the whole flight was loaded into their sleds and readied for launch.   
  
"Okay, Cavalier Squadron, Blue Flight report in. This is Blue 1 standing by."   
  
"Blue 2 all set for launch."   
  
"Blue 3 locked and loaded."   
  
"Blue 4, suffering from claustrophobia but otherwise ready," said Tommy.   
  
John chuckled. "Control, Blue Flight is go for launching."   
  
"Roger that. Ship is in position. Launching Rocket Sleds now!" The red missile-like sleds flew out of the _Valencia's_ missile tubes in pairs, first John and Blue 2, and then Blue 3 and Tommy. All four sleds streaked towards Sweetwater at Mach 4.4.   
  
On the bridge of the _Valencia_, the flight controllers were monitoring the four Valkyries all the way.   
  
"Telemetry from all sleds is in the green."   
  
"External temperatures are rising on expected curves."   
  
"Stress on the nose shields within limits."   
  
Lt. Cmdr. Ironsides was standing beside the captain of the _Valencia_.   
  
"You sure your boys are ready for this, Commander? I mean, no offense, but it's not often that planetary squadrons get to undergo sled training."   
  
"Don't worry, sir. They shouldn't have any problems."   
  
As the sleds entered deeper into the atmosphere, the frictional heat began to subside, and the buffeting slowly ceased. At 10,000 meters, the nose shields of the sleds broke away, and the Valkyries contained inside were released to fly free.   
  
"This is Blue 1," said John. "All aircraft have separated from their sleds and are free to navigate."   
  
"Roger that," replied the controller. "You're fifty kilometers from the target zone."   
  
Tommy breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, that was fairly entertaining."   
  
As they advanced, the radar screen of all four Valkyries suddenly showed aerial contacts approaching them.   
  
"Control, this is Blue 1. Bandits incoming at vector zero-nine-zero. Repeat, incoming from due east. Request permission to engage."   
  
"Permission granted. You're clear to engage."   
  
"All right, people. Let's go and knock the snot out of some drones, shall we?"   
  
The two groups of aircraft closed in on each other rapidly.   
  
"Targets coming within weapons range now," said John. "All aircraft open fire."   
  
Each aircraft locked onto a target and fired a volley of medium-range missiles…except for Tommy.   
  
"This is Blue 4. I can't get a solid lock here…something's not right."   
  
"Talk to me, Tommy. What's up?"   
  
"Contacts are good, but the system isn't locking on. I don't understand it…!"   
  
"I see. Everybody, break formation and engage. Tommy, you stick with me as usual." The group of four split into two, each group going in its own direction. "Tommy, check your master arm switch. It might still be on standby."   
  
Tommy glanced at his instrument panel. Sure enough, the master arm was still in standby mode. He sheepishly switched it to armed mode. "Problem fixed, I'm all set…sorry."   
  
"Hey, you'll have time to be embarrassed later. Let's do this!" They pulled towards a pair of the target drones that had come out to meet them. As they closed in, the two drones split off from each other.   
  
"They've split up, John."   
  
"Right. You take the ugly one, I've got the pretty one."   
  
"Very funny." They chased after their targets. John was on his in seconds.   
  
"Okay, glitch, you think your mass of circuits and chips can match my neurons and electro-chemical discharges? Think again…!" Switching to his short-range missiles, he quickly settled his fighter in a perfect firing position.   
  
"Locked on. Bye-bye!" He fired a volley of four missiles. They streaked in and nailed the drone dead-on, instantly turning it to scrap metal.   
  
"That's a kill. How are you doing with yours, Tommy?"   
  
"Bad. I can't keep him in my sights!"   
  
"Try cutting your throttle a bit, so you're not overtaking as much."   
  
"You got it, coach," said Tommy with a chuckle as he eased back on his throttle. The drone aircraft began to settle in his gun sight. "Okay, I'm going with the gun pod…steady, steady…firing!" Tommy fired several bursts of 55mm shells at the drone, missing with the first, but the rest of the shots were dead-on and ripped the drone to shreds.   
  
"Got him! Tracking kill on the southern bandit!"   
  
"See? I told you to have more confidence."   
  
"Hey, what about 2 and 3?"   
  
"Huh, almost forgot. 2 and 3, this is Blue 1. What's your status?"   
  
"Blue 2 here. We're holding our own, but it's getting a bit lonely over here. Feel free to join any time."   
  
"Roger, we're on our way."   
  
Meanwhile, on the _Valencia's_ bridge, one of the controllers got up suddenly and approached the captain and Ironsides.   
  
"Pardon me, sirs, but were any more drones supposed to be launched?"   
  
"Not yet, no," said the captain.   
  
"Well…I've detected another launch from Sector A-3."   
  
"What?", said Ironsides. "Where are they headed?"   
  
"Well…", said the controller as he motioned the two officers over to the screen, "it looks like they're going clear out of the combat area."   
  
"This isn't good…get me Blue Flight," said Ironsides.   
  
At that point, the remaining drones from the original group had been finished off.   
  
"That's the last of 'em!", said Blue 3.   
  
"Good," said John. "Let's hit those ground targets now!"   
  
"Hold it," came the voice of the Commander. "We've detected an unauthorized drone launch. Forget about the ground targets for now, and follow the drones. You should have them on long-range radar by know."   
  
"…Confirmed. Five targets headed on course…one-eight-zero, due south. We'll check it out."   
  
"You boys be careful. We don't know who's controlling those drones yet. If I were you, I'd assume that they were aces unlike anything you've seen before."   
  
"…Understood."   
  
Meanwhile, on the ground, the transport was rumbling along the roadway, chugging along noisily. Kina was sitting alone this time. She stretched her arms out and rolled her neck around, trying to relieve some of the stress of sitting for long periods. She started to hum a tune to herself. Anything to offset the boredom.   
  
_"Jeez…I hate riding alone for long stretches. This is more boring than watching those goofs at work play euchre!" She sighed. "I'd kill for some excitement. Well, no, I guess I wouldn't kill…that's going a little too far. I'd make someone really, really uncomfortable for some excitement. Yeah, that's the ticket!"_ She smiled to herself in that same cute but slightly ditzy way, and continued humming.   
  
Up in the air, Blue Flight had closed to within missile range of the rogue drones.   
  
"This is Blue 1. Targets are in range. Should we open fire?"   
  
"…Negative, don't fire unless they attack you or otherwise show hostility. Until then, just tail 'em."   
  
"Roger that. You guys catch that?"   
  
"Yes, sir. Cold on all weapons."   
  
"Right. Let's keep it going, shall we?" As they closed in, three of the five drones suddenly broke formation and doubled back.   
  
"Uh-oh…_Valencia_, this is Blue 1. Three of the five drones are headed towards us. What do we do?"   
  
"Don't engage unless attacked. That's an order, Lieutenant."   
  
"Understood, sir." The incoming drones suddenly began to emit radar signals.   
  
"Blue 4 here. I'm spiked-I think they're locking onto us!"   
  
"Shouldn't be anything to worry about," said Blue 3. "They shouldn't have live weapons…right?"   
  
"We can't be certain of anything," said John. "Hey, now I'm spiked. 2 and 3?"   
  
"Spike."   
  
"Spike."   
  
Suddenly, alarms sounded in all of their cockpits. The drones launched several missiles at the four Valkyries.   
  
"Damn! Break off, break off!" Tommy and John managed to avoid the missiles, but Blue 2 and 3 were struck by one missile each, taking damage to their engines.   
  
"2 and 3, are you guys okay?"   
  
"2 here. I'm limping but alive. I think I can make it back to the base."   
  
"3's same. Sorry, Lead. We've got to leave this party."   
  
"Understood. You guys head on back. Well, Tommy, I guess it's just you and me."   
  
"Sure seems that way…"   
  
The drones and the two remaining Valkyries passed each other head-to-head, and the fight began. Just like before, John managed to get into a firing position on his targets first. He locked onto both at once, but his subsequent missile volley only hit one target. The other drone evaded his missiles and made a hard break for the ground.   
  
"Oh, no, you don't!!" John converted his Valkyrie to GERWALK mode and spun its nose around hard, managing to catch the drone before it got out of gun range. He fired a quick burst, and managed to score a hit.   
  
"Got mine. How's yours, Tommy?"   
  
"I'm on him…got a lock! Missiles away!" Tommy's volley scored a textbook hit. "That's two today. If only they were real targets…"   
  
"Another time, my friend, another time. Now let's get the two that didn't come after us!"   
  
"Right!" They raced off in the direction of the other two drones.   
  
On the transport, things still hadn't changed much. Kina was tapping her feet on the floor and twiddling her thumbs. Suddenly, the roar of jet engines overhead could be heard, even over the transport's engines. Kina looked out the window, and saw a small aircraft zip overhead, one that was definitely NOT a Valkyrie.   
  
"Huh? What in the world is that plane doing up there?" At that moment, another one flew over. They grew very distant, then suddenly began to turn back. As they did, small points of light began to emanate from them, points that streaked in and struck the ground near the transport. Laser fire!   
  
"They're shooting at us!", Kina cried out loud as the laser shots rocked the transport. Immediately, the mostly female passenger compliment began to scream and panic.   
  
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!"   
  
"Is someone going to help us?!"   
  
"We're going to die!!!"   
  
"I'm scared!"   
  
In the air, John and Tommy were closing in.   
  
"Blue 1, there's a new problem," said Ironsides   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"It seems that the two remaining drones are strafing one of the heavy transports that take Zentraedi loading workers to and from work. You've got to take them out!"   
  
"Right. Tommy, you get that?"   
  
"I sure did. Let's move!" They pushed their fighters to the limit. In less than a minute, they were in missile range.   
  
"Tommy, let's hit 'em with medium-range missiles. If nothing else, they'll be distracted."   
  
"Right." They locked on and fired off all of their remaining medium range missiles, 6 between the two of them. One of the drones was hit and destroyed, but the other dodged and began to climb into the sky.   
  
"One down, one to go!", said John.   
  
"Let's get him. That transport doesn't have much in the way of protection." They blazed in with afterburners, and John immediately broke off in pursuit of the drone.   
  
"…Think you can pick on innocent, defenseless…40-to-50-foot-tall giants…?! Think again!" John's speed carried him inside of missile range before he could get a shot off, but he slowed down in time to set up a gun attack.   
  
"He's mine now!" John fired his gun pod, but the drone jinked at the last second. The bullets clipped the wing of the drone, sending it into a spin towards the ground.   
  
"He's toast. Well, that's all she wrote!"   
  
"…No, it isn't. John, take a look!"   
  
"What are you talking about-oh, dear God…!" John's face turned pale. "It's going to crash into the transport!!"   
  
"That thing's still got missiles…if they go off…!!"   
  
"I can't get at it! Tommy?"   
  
"It's falling too erratically! I can't lock on!"   
  
"Damn…"   
  
"Wait! I've got it!" Tommy pressed a button on his instrument panel, and all of the remaining missiles on his Valkyrie were jettisoned from their hardpoints. He then accelerated towards the falling drone.   
  
"Tommy, what the hell are you doing?!"   
  
"I can't hit it with weapons, so I'm going to play goaltender!"   
  
"What?! Tommy, if you don't time it just right…!"   
  
"I know, I know!" His fighter streaked in. "John, what's the first thing they tell all variable fighter pilots?"   
  
"The first rule of survival!!"   
  
"Change or Die!!!!!!!" Tommy converted his Valkyrie into Soldier mode, and put it into a flying side-kick orientation. "Eat this!!!!!!!!!!" As the two vehicles approached, Tommy closed his eyes.   
  
_"Please, let it work…just this once…!"_   
  
Aboard the transport, the din hadn't ended. Kina had a clear view of the tumbling aircraft about to crash into them.   
  
_"Oh, no…please not like this!"_ Suddenly, a humanoid shape surged in and kicked the falling plane away. Kina's eyes fixed on it immediately.   
  
_"…Valkyrie…"_   
  
Tommy opened his eyes in time to catch the drone crashing harmlessly to the side of the road.   
  
"I…I did it. I did it!!!!!!!!!"   
  
"Great move, man!", cried John. "That was one in a million!"   
  
"Yeah, for anyone else. For me, it's more like one in a trillion…!"   
  
"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You did good today, man. Real good. Control, this is Blue 1. All targets eliminated. Mission complete, we're coming home."   
  
"Roger that, Lieutenant. Tell the Ensign that he's got one hell of a kick there." Upon hearing that, Tommy blushed.   
  
On the transport, Kina immediately made up for starting the panic by shouting "We're saved! It's over!!" Everybody on board began to either cheer, sigh with relief, or cry tears of joy. Except for Kina. She stared out the window.   
  
_"That pilot…he saved us all by himself…it's almost like he owed us..."_


	4. And Their Paths Did Cross

Chapter Four: And Their Paths Did Cross   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
Kina flopped down on her bed a few hours after getting home and switching out her work clothes for a T-shirt and jeans. She briefly considered just dozing off right there, but instead she sat up and grabbed the TV remote.   
  
"Let's see what's on…ugh, soap opera…yuck, news…ah, Spaceballs! I love that movie!" She scooted backwards to rest her head on some propped-up pillows. Suddenly, the phone rang.   
  
"Aw, man! I'm gonna miss the Ludicrous Speed part!" She picked up the receiver. "Hello?"   
  
"Hey, Kina. It's Aivea. You wanted me to find out whom it was who saved you and the rest of the people on that transport, remember?"   
  
"Oh, yeah. That was quick; how'd you get it so fast?"   
  
"Eh, you've just got to ask the right friends of the right friends. Anyway, all I got was a name and rank. Ensign Thomas Rickenbacker. No word on anything else. I couldn't even tell you what he looks like."   
  
"Oh, I see. Well, I appreciate it anyway. Bye!"   
  
"Take care of yourself." Kina hung up the phone and went back to her movie.   
  
_"…Or else Pizza's going to send out for YOU."_   
  
"Ha-ha! I love this stuff!"   
  
Outside the base, Tommy and John had gotten into their civvies and were going out to their cars   
  
"Man, I still think you deserved something for what you did back there," said John. "A medal or…something!"   
  
"Maybe next time. Where are you heading?"   
  
"Eh, I dunno. Maybe I'll just go home, maybe I'll pick up some stuff at the supermarket…but I'll probably just go down to the bar and get rip-roaring drunk. What about you? You gonna go down to the recreation center like I said to?"   
  
"Yeah. After that mission I think I could use a nice ego deflator."   
  
"Just remember to look up. Part of that place holds stuff for Zentraedi to use, and I don't want you to get into a repeat of last night."   
  
"Don't worry, I don't intend to get flattened out there."   
  
"All right. Well, that'll be all, Ensign. Dismissed," said John with a silly grin.   
  
Tommy laughed. "Yes, sir." They saluted each other, and Tommy walked off with an exaggerated stiff stride.   
  
A while later, at her house, Kina had finished watching her movie and was now bored beyond all reason.   
  
"Jeez, I am bored beyond all reason here. I need to do something…I know! I'll go to the rec center and get some exercise. Maybe work on my coordination and grip, too!" She grabbed herself a gym bag, threw in some spare exercise clothes, and left.   
  
Tommy arrived at the rec center about an hour later. He immediately went into the bar.   
  
"Hey, buddy. What'll you have?" said the bartender.   
  
"Hmm…get me a vanilla shake."   
  
"Coming right up. Say, did you hear about what happened a few hours back?"   
  
Tommy cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? What happened?"   
  
"You mean you didn't hear? The boys in here from the military haven't stopped talking about it for hours! Apparently, a transport chock full of Zentraedi was almost blown to pieces by some drones, or something like that." Tommy immediately developed a small sweatdrop behind his head. "Anyway, they say that a lone pilot kept the last one from crashing on top of it. Must've been some pilot to pull off a stunt like that, eh?"   
  
"Uh…yeah, he must've been great…um, will you excuse me for just one second?" Tommy walked back to the lobby.   
  
_"For the love of…I ain't ready for this kind of fame yet! Okay, Tommy, just be cool, and pretend it was some other guy for now."_ He went back in.   
  
Kina arrived a short time after this. Once she got into the gym clothes she packed, she went into the sport section.   
  
"Okay, gotta find something to do…oh, volleyball!" She joined one of the volleyball games.   
  
"Hey, you guys need another?!"   
  
"Yeah, sure! You play a lot?"   
  
"Not a lot, but I can try!" She went up near the net. The other team was serving.   
  
"Okay, here it comes!" The girl with the ball served it a little short, but one of her teammates was ready for it. Kina got set for a return. The teammate suddenly jumped up and spiked the ball right towards Kina.   
  
"I got it-GAH!!" The ball hit Kina right in the forehead, knocking her clean over.   
  
"Oh, man! Is she all right?" cried one of the girls. Kina's eyes were spun into a whirlpool.   
  
"Uhh…yeah, I'll be fine…I think I'll take a break now…owww…"   
  
Meanwhile, Tommy was finishing his drink.   
  
"Thanks, man," he said to the bartender after he was done.   
  
"Any time." Tommy then walked around the place. He eventually walked by the Zentraedi section. Out of curiosity, he peered inside. It was about the same as the human section, just scaled-up. He then noticed one of the women standing close to the entrance, rubbing her forehead.   
  
_"Hmm…where have I seen that girl before…hey, that's…!"_ He looked again to be sure. _"It's that girl from the loading area…the one who almost dropped half a ton of metal on my head…!"_ He cocked an eyebrow, then turned to leave, but stopped.   
  
"Ouch…darn it!", grumbled Kina quietly as she leaned against the thick wall. "Why does stuff like this always have to happen…?"   
  
Tommy looked up at her for a moment, and then sighed to himself. _"Why the hell not. Might even be interesting."_ He took a couple of breaths, and then went in, making sure to keep against the wall. Almost every place that had facilities for both humans and Zentraedi always had a sign on the human side of the gate between them: "Enter At Own Risk". Upon reaching the woman, he called up to her.   
  
"Um, excuse me?"   
  
"Hmm?" She looked down, and saw Tommy. Not wanting to give off a rude image, she gave him a friendly smile. "Oh, hello there!"   
  
"Uh, yeah…may I talk to you for a bit?"   
  
"Talk to me? Sure, that'd be fine-uh…need a lift?"   
  
"Uh…lift?"   
  
"Yep. Just relax, and let me know if I'm squeezing you, okay?" She bent down, and reached for him. Tommy immediately jumped back, on total reflex. The action got a small giggle out of Kina. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you or anything," she said with a bright smile. "Don't worry!" She reached again, slowly this time, and carefully picked Tommy up.   
  
"Whoa…! Oh, boy…!"   
  
Kina smiled. "Never been picked up before, I take it. H-hey, wait a second…don't I know you from somewhere?"   
  
"Uh…the loading area, one night ago…"   
  
Kina blinked for a second, then gasped. "Oh my God…you're that poor guy I…you're not mad at me, are you?"   
  
"Huh? No, no. That's not it at all."   
  
"Oh, thank goodness. I'm really sorry about that!"   
  
"It's okay." She set him down on one of the unoccupied tables, and sat down.   
  
"Whew!", said Tommy. "That was a new one on me…!" Kina just giggled. "Anyway, what happened last night wasn't any more perilous than what I do for a living."   
  
"Oh? What's that?"   
  
"I'm a member of the U.N. Spacy. I'm a VF pilot."   
  
"Wow, really?", said Kina with honest-to-goodness interest. "I hear those things are pretty scary to fly in!"   
  
"It can get that way. It's a hell of a thrill, though."   
  
"I'll bet. I'd never have the guts to pilot something like that. Heck, I get nervous using those construction-modified powered armors we've got. I'm just glad I'll never have to pilot something like those old Queadlunn-Rau armors!"   
  
Tommy smiled. "Hey, to each their own."   
  
Kina smiled, and then suddenly blushed. "Uh…you know, I don't even know your name…!"   
  
"Hey, that's right-and I don't know yours, either!"   
  
Kina smiled. "Kina. Kina Revdirgea. And you?"   
  
"I'm Tommy Rickenbacker." Kina suddenly gasped.   
  
"Rickenbacker?"   
  
"Yes, that's right…what is it?"   
  
"Uh…your rank wouldn't happen to be Ensign, would it?"   
  
"Yes, I'm an ensign. Wha-?" Kina suddenly put her hands together, and her eyes went all puppy-dog. They also began to water. Needless to say, this made Tommy a little uneasy to say the least.   
  
"You…it was you…!"   
  
"Uh…me?"   
  
"Yes…you saved us…all of us…! You're the pilot!"   
  
"Huh? What are you talking ab-...oh no...! You don't mean you were on the transport that…!"   
  
"Yes! I was on it when those planes started shooting at us…and then one of them almost crashed into us…but you stopped it! Thank you so much…!"   
  
"Uh…you're welcome…?"   
  
Kina dried off her eyes. "How did you do it? It was…awesome! You must be a wonderful pilot…"   
  
"Me, a wonderful pilot? Not exactly…"   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Kina, but…the truth is, I'm a rookie. I got that thing out of pure luck. I'm…sorry."   
  
Kina looked at him for a second, then smiled warmly. "Don't be sorry. Even if it was luck, you saved our lives, and I, for one, am always going to be grateful for it, Tommy. Always."   
  
Tommy looked up at her. He couldn't help but return the smile. "Thanks, Kina. Well, I've got to get back and get a workout in."   
  
Kina grinned. "I'll carry you." She picked him up, and set him down near the crossing gateway.   
  
Tommy looked up at her. "Well, thanks for the time."   
  
"You too!" Tommy turned to leave, but Kina called out again. "Wait a second, Tommy!"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Would you…like to meet up again sometime?"   
  
Tommy thought for a second. "Uh…sure, that'd be great!"   
  
"Cool! Well, see you later!"   
  
"Bye, Kina."   
  
That night, Tommy was at home, ready to go to bed. Just as he was about to turn out the lights, his phone rang.   
  
"For the love of…hello?!"   
  
"Hey, Four, it's John."   
  
Tommy rolled his eyes. "Aside from in the air, you've got the worst timing of anyone I know, man!"   
  
"Sorry. Just wanted to know if you found anyone out there."   
  
"Actually, I was able to start SOMETHING up, but it's not quite what you expected."   
  
"Oh, really? How so?"   
  
"Well…let's just say that I think I'm in way, way, WAY over my head on this one…!"


	5. Head of the Hammer, Part One

Chapter Five: Head of the Hammer, Part One   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
"C'mon, Tommy, who was it? You can tell your best friend…!"   
  
John and Tommy were on their way to the briefing room. John had been prodding at Tommy to talk about the "someone" he had mentioned before all day, and still was at it.   
  
"Look, John, if I told you, you'd probably think I was full of it. Just drop it for now, okay?"   
  
"Tommy, I'm not falling for that one…"   
  
Tommy rolled his eyes. "Will you knock it off already?! Look, after we do…whatever we're going to do, I'll spill, all right?"   
  
"…Fair enough, I guess."   
  
Inside the briefing room, the Commander was addressing the entirety of Cavalier Squadron. The Squadron was made up of three flights of four aircraft each: Red, Green, and Blue Flights. As usual, Tommy and John took their seats in "Blue Section", the far right side of the room.   
  
"All right, now that everyone's here, let's get things started. We've been trying to figure out just who it was that took control of those drones. Through a lot of signal-tracing and detective work, we've managed to come up with one name: Hammerheads." The name brought forth a large stir among the pilots. "People! Room, attention!" Everybody stopped talking. "Right. Yes, it's true. We have good reason to believe the Hammerheads pirate group is responsible for that incident. Be on your guard, gentlemen. We're going to run a sweep of the surrounding space in a couple of hours, using Green and Blue Flights. If ANY of you encounter something out of the ordinary, report it immediately, but do NOT attack unless attacked. Red Flight will be on standby in case things really go south out there. Any questions?"   
  
A lone pilot, in "Green Section", stood up. "Um, sir…well, I've just been transferred in and I don't know much about this area of space. Exactly who are the Hammerheads?" Immediately, everybody else turned to look at him, embarrassing him to no end.   
  
"Now, now, people," said Commander Ironsides, "we don't give new pilots a hard time here. That's an order. Would anybody care to explain things to the ensign?"   
  
John stood up. "Sir, I'd be happy to."   
  
"Proceed, Lieutenant."   
  
"Thank you, sir. The Hammerheads are one of the gutsier pirate groups out there. They're a mixed team of humans and both sizes of Zentraedi. Basically, you take the meanest, roughest street gang walking the slums of the worst city on Earth or any of the colonies, and give them variable fighters and powered armors, and you've got the Hammerheads. Unlike most pirate groups, they're not out so much for getting rich as they are just for giving the U.N. government a headache. They've stooped as low as mere vandalism and gone so far as to raid and capture lone starships and frontier garrison bases. Pure chaos is their game. Exactly who his or her leader is, nobody knows…though it's rumored to be a full-sized male Zentraedi. Their colors are black and steel gray. That's about it, sir."   
  
"Right. If there are no more questions…? Very well. Dismissed."   
  
Meanwhile, at her home, Kina was trying to cook lunch.   
  
"Let's see…heat in microwave for two minutes…that seems about right." As she pressed the buttons to start the microwave, she couldn't help but turn her thoughts back to Tommy.   
  
_"He was really nice. I hope I'll get to know him better."_ As she thought this, she failed to notice that her elbow had bumped the microwave controls, changing the time and heat levels. _"Something was strange, though. I can't put my finger on it, but…I'm not sure if he's as happy as he seems."_ Suddenly, her train of thought was broken when she turned around and saw the package she put into the microwave expanding to critical levels.   
  
"Uh-oh! Gotta turn it off!" She quickly pressed several buttons, and then opened the door of the microwave. "Whew! That was really close-AAAHHH!" The package burst just as she got the door all the way open, splattering its contents all over the inside of the microwave…and Kina's face. "Oh! Ouch! It's hot! It burns!" She ran around panicking for several minutes, even though she had instinctively knocked the hot food off of her face. After finally calming down she went up to the microwave.   
  
"Darn you, why can't you work right for just once?!" She grabbed the door and tried to slam it shut, but the door latch didn't catch and the door swung back…hitting her in the face.   
  
"Oww…" she said with tears in her eyes, "why does this have to happen to me…?!"   
  
Back at the base, John and Tommy were getting prepped for the upcoming mission.   
  
"So?" said John.   
  
"So what?"   
  
"Look, just tell me already! We've got two hours, so you've got time!"   
  
Tommy sighed in defeat. "All right, fine. But you're going to think I'm out of my damn mind…"   
  
"Oh, come on, Tommy. Give yourself some credit; I doubt you made THAT bad of a choice." They went off into a secluded corner of the locker room.   
  
"All right. You remember that Zentraedi girl that almost turned me into a pancake by accident? I met her again. We talked; she's actually really nice. Now, what do you think of that?"   
  
"…You're out of your damn mind!"   
  
Tommy groaned. "Man, what did I tell you?!"   
  
"Even so, it's crazy! Don't get me wrong; I've nothing against the Zentraedi personally. But what kind of relationship could you have? Micronized, no problem…but full-sized? I mean, that's…crazy!"   
  
"John, for the love of…will you relax? As it stands, it's just the start of a friendship. After that…I dunno."   
  
Now it was John's turn to sigh. "Well…I can't stop you from doing things your own way, my friend. Just…be careful, okay?"   
  
"Always. Let's get set before people start looking at us funny."   
  
When the two hours had passed, it was time for action. John, Tommy, and the rest of Blue Fight were in their VF-1X-Plus Valkyries, but they were now carrying NP-BP-10 FAST packs on their crafts' backs. With the transatmospheric capability they provided, the aircraft were soon in space.   
  
"All right, ladies, let's get to work," said John. "Everybody set your radar to max range and max scanning width. If there's something out here, we'll find it."   
  
About an hour into the patrol, they received a report from Green Flight (it was addressed to the base, but was broadcast on the open channel to allow Blue Flight to pick it up as well).   
  
"This is Green 1. We've picked up an unknown contact on our radar. Request permission to check it out."   
  
"Granted. Remember that you are authorized to open fire the second you're attacked."   
  
"Understood, Control. Green 1 out."   
  
A while later, Tommy was growing a bit nervous.   
  
"Hey, John?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Something doesn't seem right here. Shouldn't the Greens have reported in by now?"   
  
"Hmm…you know, I think you're right. Control, this is Blue 1."   
  
"Go ahead, 1."   
  
"Roger, uh…it's been a bit too long since Green Flight last reported in. Should we go over there and see if there's a problem?"   
  
"…Negative, negative. Keep to your assigned route. However, be ready for any change of plans."   
  
"Understood. Blue 1 out."   
  
Tommy frowned. "I still don't like it, Lead."   
  
"Neither do I, but orders are orders."   
  
A minute later, there was finally a report from the Greens. "This is Green 1. Sorry about the delay, but we had a sudden bout of communications interference. No idea where it came from. We'll keep you…what the hell is that?! Oh my God…Control, this is Green 1! We are under attack! Repeat, we are under-"   
  
"Green Flight? Green Flight, come in! Damn…Blue Flight, this is Control, come in!"   
  
"This is Blue 1. We heard the whole thing," said John through clenched teeth. "I assume we now have permission to assist Green Flight?"   
  
"You're damned right. Render assistance ASAP! Control out."   
  
"You heard the man, people. Let's lend a helping hand!"   
  
_"This is going to be one of those really, REALLY bad days,"_ thought Tommy.


	6. Head of the Hammer, Part Two

Chapter Six: Head of the Hammer, Part Two   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------   
"What's the plan, Lead?" asked Tommy.   
  
"We'll use the standard battle rules when carrying FAST packs. Hardpoint missiles go first, and then the ones in the packs."   
  
"Hey, Lead, didn't you once go up against the 'Heads?" said Blue 3.   
  
"Once…damn near didn't make it, either. Watch yourselves out there, got it? These guys live for playing dirty."   
  
"Roger that."   
  
They arrived at the location, and were immediately greeted by a dreadful sight. Three Valkyries were completely trashed and floating dead in space. Fortunately, their escape pods were floating near the wreckage, totally intact. The fourth Valkyrie was limping, but still alive.   
  
"Good God…Green Leader, this is Blue 1. Come in, come in!!"   
  
"…This is Green 1. Every one of us except Green 4 had to eject. We're going to need a pickup soon."   
  
"What the hell happened?" said John.   
  
"First, we got a group of contacts coming right at us…unbelievable speed…and then our radar just faded out from a sudden burst of jamming. Then they hit us…"   
  
"What hit you? Did you get an ID on their vehicles?"   
  
"Renegade power armors, and a Glaug pod that was more lethal than any Glaug I've ever seen. I didn't think those things could move that fast…!"   
  
"Take it easy there. Did they have Hammerhead markings?"   
  
"Oh, yeah…it's those punks, no doubt about it. I got a nice, up close look at that shark insignia…!"   
  
"Right. Control, this is Blue 1."   
  
"Go ahead."   
  
"We've got a positive identification. It IS the Hammerheads. We also need a pickup for every member of Green Flight except Green 4."   
  
"Roger that. A rescue craft will be on its way shortly."   
  
"Blue 1 to Green 4. Is your communications system working?"   
  
"Yeah, it's good for now." It was the voice of the new pilot who asked about the Hammerheads. "Man, you were right about those guys…they handed us our butts!! How I made it out is beyond me, sir."   
  
"Don't worry, you're gonna be all right. Can you still fight?"   
  
"I think I'm still in."   
  
"Heh, not gonna let a couple bumps and bruises stop you, eh? Good man. Tommy?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Tommy, I want you to cover part of this area with Green 4. We're gonna guard this area in case the Hammerheads try to jump us again. Think you can handle it?"   
  
"Sure, there's nothing I love more than guard duty. I live for the challenge of sitting around and waiting to be shot at."   
  
John rolled his eyes. "Right, right. Blue 2, you're with me. Blue 3, stay with the pods themselves. Let's do this, people!"   
  
Meanwhile, somewhere not extraordinarily far from Sweetwater…   
  
_"How's the operation going?"_   
  
He was a young man, perhaps mid-20's, wearing a black shirt, a leather jacket, and blue jeans. He was also wearing sunglasses. He sat with his feet propped up on a desk. On the other side was a man dressed in similar attire, but standing at attention.   
  
"Some of our armors just jacked up a flight of U.N. Spacy fighters. They're getting ready for another run, before their pals can pull off a rescue."   
  
"Heh, sweet! Is their anything else?"   
  
"Uh…actually, yeah, sir…your…mother is calling on Line 2." Immediately, the man at the desk fell over.   
  
"Aw, man…! I'll take it in here…!"   
  
Back at the pods, Tommy and Green 4 were in GERWALK mode, their radars scanning away. Suddenly, both of their screens went silent.   
  
"Green 4, this is Blue 4," said Tommy. "Is your radar out, too?"   
  
"Sure is. A whole fleet could be headed our way and we wouldn't know it…just like last time."   
  
"I'm calling this in. John, you reading me?"   
  
"Yeah, I'm here."   
  
"Both Green 4 and I have lost our radars. What's your status?"   
  
"Everything's fine over…wait, picking up some contacts…damn! Our radars are now out, too. Get your butts back here; we're gonna need ya!"   
  
"We're on our way, buddy! Green 4, follow me!"   
  
"Right!" They transformed back to Fighter mode and turned right back around, in the direction of John's group. Once they arrived, the battle was already starting. Five Renegade power armors were attacking them.   
  
"Glad you could join the party," said John. "Let's get 'em!"   
  
Tommy targeted one of the Renegades with his thermal imaging sensors. He got the lock, and fired some of his hardpoint missiles at it. However, the armor was ready for the attack and quickly spun around, taking down every last one of Tommy's missiles with its chest-mounted high-speed laser cluster.   
  
"Oh, no…!" said Tommy with a facefault. "This one's gonna be rough!"   
  
"Don't let 'em scare you, Tommy!" cried John. "Renegades have a weak spot: the head! A quick burst of your gun pod will take it off along with the pilot's head!"   
  
"Yeah, if I hit the damn thing!"   
  
"Just believe!" At that point, John had to evade a few shots from a Renegade's forearm beam cannons. "Heck, even if you can't get the head, they can't shoot down your bullets!"   
  
"Okay, I'm giving it a try!" Tommy closed in on the Renegade he was after. Pulling his craft to lead pursuit, he fired a burst of shells across the flight path of the armor. This time, the pilot of the armor was a bit slow on the evasion, and was hit a couple of times in the leg before pulling away from Tommy's Valkyrie.   
  
"I hit him, but he's still ticking!"   
  
"It'd be easier without that damned jamming," quipped Blue 2.   
  
"Yeah, where is that coming from?" said John.   
  
Tommy switched on his infrared detection system. "I'm gonna try and find out. Green 4, you think you can cover me?"   
  
"I'll do my best."   
  
"Thanks." Arming his medium-range missiles, Tommy scanned around the area. Eventually, he got an IR reflection. It was an old Regult Tactical Scout. "Got it!" He locked onto the Regult, and fired ALL of his medium-range missiles at it. Surprisingly, it managed to avoid all but one of the missiles, taking a shot in the leg.   
  
"And now, the big finish!" Tommy switched back to short-range missiles, and fired a large swarm of them at the Regult. Needless to say, there was no escape this time around. The Regult was totaled instantly.   
  
"Got him!" cried Tommy.   
  
"Great job, man!" said John. "Radar's clear of jamming and back online. That's your first combat kill, Tommy!"   
  
"Yeah…too bad it was just a scout pod."   
  
Suddenly, Green 4 came in over the radio. "Blue 4, look out! That Renegade you hit got through!"   
  
"What? Oh no!!" The Renegade streaked in, firing its forearm particle beams all the way. Tommy instinctively switched to GERWALK mode to dodge, then back to Fighter mode. He came in over the top.   
  
"Die, you sucker, die!" He got a clean lock and fired his remaining hardpoint missiles. Again, the Renegade was able to spin around and get an anti-missile barrage off, but the previous damage lowered its agility and a couple of missiles found their mark, striking the hips and chest of the armor. Still, it was not dead. The armor faced Tommy's Valkyrie, and locked on with its own missiles.   
  
"Oh, boy…!" As it fired, Tommy converted to Soldier mode, and quickly shot down the incoming missiles. "Whew…!" Tommy responded by firing a swarm of mini-missiles from his FAST packs. This time, the Renegade could not shoot down enough of them. It was torn to shreds.   
  
"That's two, Tommy! Great job!" said John.   
  
"Thanks…John, on your six!" A Renegade targeted John's Valkyrie with its chest autocannon.   
  
"Oh, no you don't! John, being out of missiles himself, quickly transformed to Soldier mode, boosted out of the line of fire, spun around, and filled the armor full of 55mm shells. The armor was rocked by the impacts, and then exploded.   
  
"Yeah! Who's the man?!"   
  
"Great shooting, Lead!" said Tommy.   
  
"Now for those other three…hey, where are they?" They all looked at their radar screens. Sure enough, the remaining three power armors were gone.   
  
"Looks like they've bugged out," said Blue 2.   
  
"Guess so. Well, it was a good fight. Tommy?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"You did good out here today, man. REAL good. That's two kills. I'll be waiting for the day you get three more, got it?"   
  
Tommy blushed. "Yeah…got it…"   
  
"You know…that Glaug pod never showed up this time," said Green 4. "Weird…"   
  
"Guess we should be grateful, I suppose," said John. "All right, people, let's get back to the pods. And don't you think this is the end of it-the 'Heads don't take kindly to getting their butts kicked…!"


	7. So We Meet Again

Chapter Seven: So We Meet Again   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------   
"Oww…oh, Lord…!" The party had taken its toll on poor Tommy. After they returned, John had insisted on "celebrating" the victory.   
  
"Ooh…I am going to KILL John for this, I swear…ouch…!"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"HEY! BARTENDER! ANOTHER ROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
The bar was alive with partying U.N. pilots. Rock music blared out of stereos brought in, and nearly every person present was either inebriated or very close to it. Tommy was drinking, too, but remained quiet.   
  
John got up on top of one of the tables.   
  
"Excuse me?! Excuse me!? HEY, SHUT UP, WILL YA!?" The cacophony only slightly weakened. John jumped back down to the floor. "Ah, close enough. Anyway, we're all here to congratulate our buddy here, Tommy Rickenbacker. As most of you already know, he just scored his first two REAL kills out there today! Let's all show him how proud we are!!"   
  
Tommy went up to John. "Man, are you sure this is necessary…?"   
  
"Aw, sure it is! Everybody, sing along with me!!"   
  
"Oh, for the love of…"   
  
Everybody sang.   
  
"For he's a jolly good fellow;   
For he's a jolly good fellow;   
For he's a jolly good fellow…   
And blew up a bunch of bad guys!"   
  
Tommy sighed. John put his arm around him.   
  
"C'mon, pal, at least show a little pride! C'mon…!"   
  
Tommy couldn't help but smile a little. "…Maybe you're right."   
  
"Hey, I think you're empty, buddy."   
  
Tommy shook his bottle. "Hey, you're right." He sighed, then decided to go for it. "One more, bartender!"   
  
John laughed. "That's the spirit, buddy!"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Tommy struggled out of bed. "Why…why me? Why is it ALWAYS me-ouch, it hurts…!" He prayed to himself that the hangover effects would go away soon. He showered and got dressed, almost forgetting that he was off duty that day and nearly getting into uniform. He wisely decided to try and wait out the hangover before attempting to go anywhere.   
  
At her own house, Kina was outside enjoying the fresh air.   
  
"Mmm…nice day, nice day. It'd be a shame to waste it…I know! I'll go to the big park just outside of the town! I'll just take a few things with me and get in some nice downtime." She rushed inside.   
  
A while later, Tommy was finally out of that blasted hangover.   
  
_"Damn…I really hope I don't run into John today…because if I do, I'll…say hello to him. Then, I'm going to tell him that I had a good time at the party…and then I'm going to strangle him!"_ He sighed. _"Take it easy, Tommy. You just need a stress reliever…"_ Tommy paced around the room. _"I know. I'll go to the park. Get myself some fresh air."_   
  
Unbeknownst to each other, Kina and Tommy arrived at the same time. Tommy decided to just take a stroll.   
  
_"I wonder when we're going to see more of the Hammerheads…and if so, what kind of hardware they're going to fling at us…"_   
  
Kina, on the other hand, found herself a spot and stayed put, getting in a couple of stretches before laying back and staring up at the clouds.   
  
_"What a view…I love it out here…!"_   
  
Tommy walked for several minutes, unable to get his thoughts off of the Hammerhead attack from the previous day. He eventually noticed a familiar sign hanging over a gate.   
  
"ENTER AT OWN RISK."   
  
Tommy stopped. _"Hmm…I wonder…"_ He chuckled to himself, and then went in. Fortunately for him, there wasn't anybody around the gate area.   
  
Kina sat up. She wiggled her feet a little and braced herself with her hands.   
  
_"Boy, does this bring back memories. It's just like when I was a child. I used to sit like this right in our backyard, doing nothing but thinking…!"_   
  
Tommy took a look around. He was just about to turn back when he finally spotted a familiar face.   
  
_"Well, it's nice to get a good coincidence once in a while,"_ he thought to himself. "Hello over there!"   
  
Kina turned her head in the direction of the voice. "Yes? Who's there? Hey, is that you, Tommy?"   
  
"Yeah, it's me!"   
  
Kina immediately smiled. "Hi! I was wondering if I was gonna see you again. Come on over!"   
  
Tommy went up to her. "I was hoping I'd find you here. To be frank, I could use a decent conversation after last night…"   
  
"What do you mean by that?"   
  
Tommy chuckled. "It's a long story."   
  
Kina smiled. "I'd be happy to hear it. Say, want to find a place where you won't get have to crane your neck so much while trying to talk to me?" she said, barely suppressing a giggle.   
  
"Might help." She picked him up again, and carried him to one of the scaled-up park benches. He sat on the backrest of the bench, her arm outstretched behind him to keep him from falling backwards.   
  
"So, what's up?" she said. Tommy proceeded to tell her most of what had been going on. Tommy was well aware of Kina's civilian status and, although he didn't like it, left out the part about the Hammerheads.   
  
Kina took it all in with genuine interest. "Wow…that must've been some party to get a guy drunk THAT badly."   
  
Tommy sweatdropped a bit. "Yeah…and I woke up feeling like my head had been beaten with a two-by-four for hours. Y'know, I think I'm gonna give up the bottle."   
  
"That's always a good thing."   
  
Tommy smiled. "Well, enough about me. What happened with you lately?"   
  
"Not much, really. I guess I'm sort of grateful for it. At least I haven't had any more close calls!"   
  
"Glad to hear that. Hey, is it me, or is it getting a bit cold out here?"   
  
"I didn't notice…but since I'm a Zentraedi, cold doesn't register on me as much," she said with a sweatdrop of slight embarrassment. "This is going to sound silly, but…you'd be warmer in my hand."   
  
Tommy blinked. "Uh…okay…" Kina carefully wrapped her fingers around him.   
  
"How's that? Too tight?"   
  
"No, I'm fine. Thanks."   
  
Kina smiled. "No problem. Uh…want to go on a tour with me?"   
  
"Sure, I'd be glad to."   
  
"Great!" She got up, and carried Tommy along with her. They spent the next several minutes talking with each other, becoming more familiar every minute. Eventually, they reached a section near a large lake.   
  
"Wow…now that is really pretty," said Kina.   
  
"The lake? Yes, it is. You do know why the planet's called Sweetwater, don't you?"   
  
Kina blushed a little. "Actually…I don't."   
  
"This planet's got a huge amount of limestone in its crust. That plus a lot of natural desalination agents in the rocks makes nearly all the water on this planet fit for consumption with minimal treatment."   
  
Kina sweatdropped. "Uh…say what?"   
  
Tommy smiled. "Sorry. Sweetwater is the only known planet whose oceans and major bodies of water are freshwater, not salt water."   
  
"Freshwater OCEANS? I had no clue…"   
  
"Yep."   
  
"How do you know all that?"   
  
"In the Spacy, when they assign you to a planetary base, you get a briefing on the terrain features of the planet you're going to be on."   
  
"Oh, I see. Hmm…" Suddenly, at that point, somebody ran right into Kina from behind. It was a Zentraedi runner who had forgotten to look where he was going. Tommy went flying.   
  
"AAAH! Kina! Help!"   
  
"Tommy!" She jumped forward, making a diving catch motion. She barely caught him before he hit the ground. Unfortunately, she hit the ground herself with a hard THUD.   
  
"Oof…that wasn't very pleasant…Tommy? Tommy, are you okay?!" She opened her hands. To her relief, he was alive.   
  
"…Don't worry…I'm okay…whew…!"   
  
"Oh…thank God!" Both of them were panting, trying to get their hearts to slow down. As Tommy got out of Kina's opened hands, he turned to look at her. They stayed like that for a few seconds. Then, something happened that nobody would've expected. They each began to snicker. Then they began to chuckle. Then, Kina rolled to the side, Tommy fell to the ground, and they both began to laugh uncontrollably. A few people looked at them like they were a couple of idiots, but they just laughed away. It took them a whole minute to stop.   
  
"Oh…wow. I haven't had a really good laugh like that for too long! I forgot how great it feels." said Kina.   
  
"Me too."   
  
Kina rolled to her side, to face Tommy. "I'm really sorry about that, though."   
  
"Don't worry about it. Blame that idiot who couldn't see."   
  
"Yeah, where'd that guy go, anyway?" She looked around. The runner was far away, down the path. "Huh. Coward."   
  
"Ah, forget it. I still had a great time."   
  
"Me too! Y'know, Tommy, you're pretty cool. You're nice to me and you're the only person I know who can put up with my…coordination problems one hundred percent!"   
  
Tommy blinked. "Really?"   
  
"Yeah! Even my friend Aivea sometimes gets a little irritated…but you always take it in stride."   
  
Tommy smiled a little. "Guess it comes from getting used to being bounced around in the cockpit." Kina chuckled.   
  
"Yeah, I guess you've probably gone through a lot worse, huh?"   
  
Tommy laughed. "Nothing quite THIS unique, but I've taken a fair share of poundings." Tommy checked his wristwatch. "Oh, damn…listen, I've got to go pick up some stuff from the supermarket."   
  
"Oh, okay. I'll take you back to the gate, cool?"   
  
"Sure."   
  
"Uh…Tommy?"   
  
"Mmm?"   
  
"I'm really glad you showed up. Thanks for giving me some company."   
  
"Oh, uh…yeah, anytime. That's what friends are for, right?"   
  
Kina smiled. "Right!"   
  
_"I think I'm going to take a few more bumps than usual over these next few weeks…but it just might be worth it!"_


	8. Thunderous Evolution

Chapter Eight: Thunderous Evolution   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
Somewhere in the Sweetwater system…   
  
_"They wasted three of our pilots?!"_   
  
_"Y-yes, sir…"_   
  
_"Oh, for the love of…all right. Tell Reevan to go out in that jacked-up Glaug of his again. Nobody screws around with us!"_   
  
_"Right away."_   
  
_"Oh, and one other thing…tell him to find out where that squadron's base is, and LEVEL IT!!!!!"_   
  
_"Understood. Is there anything else you require, sir?"_   
  
_"Uh, yeah…send this message to my mom, will you…?"_   
  
On Sweetwater, Tommy and John were getting ready for another practice run…but this one was going to be a little different…   
  
"So, what's the big deal about this one, John?"   
  
John laughed. "Remember how you kept saying that if we had better fighters, our combat record would be a lot better?"   
  
"Yeah. Wait a second…are you saying that…?"   
  
"We're moving on up, Tommy! Take a look!" They were right outside a hangar. Inside, however, wasn't the usual group of VF-1X-Plus aircraft. They were still in the same color scheme as their Valkyries, but no Valkyrie had forward canard wings like these aircraft did.   
  
"VF-11 Thunderbolts!" cried Tommy. "We finally got Thunderbolts! This is great!"   
  
"VF-11C 'Bolts, to be exact. All of them are C models. You won't have to be stuck in a Brownie anymore, my friend."   
  
"Awesome. It's hard to believe that the U.N. Spacy is phasing them out for the VF-19, seeing them here."   
  
"Maybe someday, we'll get our hands on the -19. But for now…these are our birds."   
  
Tommy smiled, but then took on a serious expression. "Who's going to train us?"   
  
"I am."   
  
Tommy looked at him. "What?"   
  
"I flew the VF-11B for a short time. The difference between the B and C models is pretty negligible. About the only major difference is better communications and navigation systems. The flight controls are exactly the same."   
  
"…All right. So, Coach, when do we go?"   
  
"…Now."   
  
Once airborne, Tommy was nearly in heaven. He and the rest of Blue Flight went through their training program, firing at air drone targets, ground-based targets, and basically getting a feel for the new layout. Eventually, they were finished on the range.   
  
"So, Tommy…" began John, "…how do you like the Thunderbolt?"   
  
"It's great. Much, much smoother ride than the Enhanced Valkyrie. Controls respond a lot quicker, too."   
  
"I thought you'd like that part. Well, we're done here…except for one thing. All aircraft, descend to the deck and go to Soldier mode." They all followed suit, landing on the arid ground in their humanoid forms.   
  
John's Thunderbolt held up its gun pod. "All right, people. I want you to see this." He pressed a button on his control stick, and a blade extended out from the bottom of the gun pod. "This is the anti-armor bayonet. Perhaps the single stupidest thing a VF-11 pilot can do is forget that this is there. This little devil will save your life more times than you'll want to admit. Now, these are blunted training blades, but the real deal will go right through the chest armor on a Renegade. Whenever you've got a bad guy in your face, do not hesitate to give him a nice poke with your blade."   
  
"Sounds like a good plan to me," said Tommy. "So, what are we going to practice on?"   
  
"…Me."   
  
All three pilots got a weird look.   
  
"What?"   
  
"You're nuts, Lead."   
  
"John, what if something happens?"   
  
John chuckled. "Relax, relax…these are the training blades, remember? Besides, I'm…good. So, who's up first? No, wait…better yet, why don't you all come at me at once? I dare you!"   
  
"John…this is really stupid," said Tommy.   
  
"It's also part of the official training, believe it or not. Now, come and get some!"   
  
"All right, Lead. You asked for it," said Blue 2 as he deployed his bayonet. His Thunderbolt rushed John's, and attempted to deliver a stab. John's aircraft almost casually parried the attack and countered with a pod swing, a stock to the head, and then a trip with the pod's barrel, knocking Blue 2 over.   
  
"Oh, come on. That was too easy! You okay, 2?"   
  
"…Yes. No damage…"   
  
John sighed. "Maybe we should go with the baby steps first. We're going to play it this way: One person is going to receive attacks from two others, going against one at a time. I'll tell you when to switch. Cool? Okay…Tommy, you receive first."   
  
"What? Me?"   
  
"I wanna see how you are on defense, man."   
  
"All right…" Blue 2, his aircraft back on its feet, stood across from Blue 3 with Tommy right in the middle. Tommy was sweating bullets.   
  
_"This isn't going to be very fun…"_   
  
John smiled. "All right. Blue 3, you attack first. Ready…GO!" Blue 3 immediately attacked Tommy, slashing with the blunted bayonet. Tommy tried to defend with his own blade, but kept mistiming the parries and getting struck by the blunt blade. He eventually tried using his anti-projectile shield to block the hits, but that only provided some help. After a few more seconds, Tommy's fighter was knocked to the ground.   
  
"GAH…damn it!"   
  
"That's okay, Tommy. Good idea using the shield to block, but you've got to be able to parry a blade with a blade because the shield isn't as maneuverable as the gun pod."   
  
"Right…right."   
  
"Let's try it again. Tommy?"   
  
Tommy frowned. "Hold on…!" John laughed.   
  
"Okay…GO!"   
  
"Hey, wait, I'm not ready-AAH!"   
  
Meanwhile, at the base, Kina was back at work. This time, she was assigned to use one of the powered armors modified for heavy lifting jobs.   
  
"Oh, boy…I really hate these things, Aivea."   
  
"Why? Claustrophobia?"   
  
"Not so much that as the thought of having a fusion reactor strapped to my BACK. Would you want to wear a nuclear missile?"   
  
Aivea sighed, and chuckled. "You worry too much, Kina. It could be worse. These could be military armors."   
  
"Yeah, at least I'll never have to get into one of those things." They walked their armors forward.   
  
"So…you said you met that Rickenbacker guy," said Aivea.   
  
"Mm-hmm. Pretty cool guy, though he doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence."   
  
"He had enough to strike up a conversation with ya," Aivea reminded her.   
  
"Point taken." She laughed. "You wouldn't believe how much that guy can tolerate my…y'know…"   
  
"Clumsiness?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
Aivea laughed. "You were carrying him, and then you dropped him, didn't you?"   
  
"What? No! No, of course not! …Yes," she said with her face bright red.   
  
"Kina, Kina, Kina…you just can't get a break, can you?" Aivea clucked her tongue sympathetically.   
  
"Oh, actually, I think I might've just gotten one."   
  
"Huh? What makes you say that…because you made a new friend?"   
  
"That…and my armor's legs aren't moving anymore. I'm stuck!!"   
  
Aivea sweatdropped. "Oh, Kina…"   
  
Back in the desert, Tommy was finally making headway. Blue 2 was attacking this time. He swung at Tommy twice, and then tried a lunge. Tommy parried the strike, then countered with his own blade. Blue 2 managed to parry, but was knocked off balance. Tommy saw his chance. He struck Blue 2 with the blunted blade and then with the stock of the gun pod, knocking 2's Thunderbolt over.   
  
"Switch!" said John.   
  
Blue 3 attacked now, trying to knock Tommy down. Instead, Tommy locked his gun pod with 3's, and shoved him backwards. 3 then made a hard rush towards Tommy. Tommy again blocked the strike, and countered with a few slashes. He finished the combo with a hard swing, knocking Blue 3 over onto Blue 2.   
  
"3, get the hell off me!"   
  
"Sorry, jeez!"   
  
John laughed. "Okay, okay, that's enough of that. I think you're set, Tommy. As for you two jokers…you're going up next."   
  
"Hey, John, can I talk to you for a second?" said Tommy.   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Thanks for having faith in me, man."   
  
"No problem. Just as long as you also have faith in yourself."   
  
Tommy smiled. "I copy, Lead."   
  
"Okay, Blue 2, get in the middle. 3 and 4...don't kill him."


	9. Our Man Reevan, Part One

Chapter Nine: Our Man Reevan, Part One   
-------------------------------------------------------------------------   
That night, a large object entered the atmosphere of Sweetwater. It timed its planetfall perfectly, arriving in between radar sweeps and landing out in the middle of the desert region. It was huge, but since it was so far from any settlements or bases, nobody even knew it was there. Hatches opened on the sides of the craft, and from one, a lone man walked out from it. He surveyed the dark landscape, and said:   
  
"Good Lord! It's bloody chilly out here! What the hell was I thinking!?" He quickly hurried back inside. Shortly afterwards, several humanoid objects came out of the hatches. Once they were all deployed, the large craft returned to the sky…   
  
The next day, Tommy and John were sitting through yet another mission briefing courtesy of Commander Ironsides.   
  
"Gentlemen, our radar systems picked up a large dropship-sized craft exiting the atmosphere late last night. It was so high up by the time we caught it that we can only extrapolate the general area it landed in. The origin of liftoff seems to be somewhere in the southern desert. Exactly where is what you're going to determine. The entire squadron will patrol this area and search for signs of a recent landing. If you spot anything, report on it immediately. Also, your new VF-11 fighters will be equipped with medium-range high-maneuverability missiles for this mission. They should be useful if a fight breaks out. Questions? All right. You take off in three hours. Dismissed."   
  
Meanwhile, back in the desert…   
  
The man was obviously a Zentraedi…well, a partial Zentraedi, anyway. No full Zentraedi spoke with his thick British accent. He was holding a portable communications unit in his right hand, and making wild gestures with his free hand.   
  
"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but…are you honestly telling me these blokes are the best you could send me?! I'm a warrior, not some bloody babysitter!"   
  
_"Just concentrate on your duties, Reevan. Take that Glaug of yours and kick the living hell out of those U.N. Spacy idiots!"_ The transmission was cut.   
  
"I should kick the living hell out of you…stupid git…and it's a Neo Glaug…!" grumbled Reevan under his breath. He had a habit of complaining about things. Indeed, perhaps the only reason he was tolerated at all was his excellence as a pilot. Reevan put away the communicator and turned to face his men. Actually, it would be more accurate to say men and machines. A line of various types of variable fighters, all in Soldier mode, stood alongside several Zentraedi in tactical life support suits. Most of the fighters were VF-4 Lightning III fighters, but some were old VF-1X-Pluses and there were even a few VF-11B Thunderbolts in the group. All of them were in the same black-and-steel gray coloring scheme. Reevan looked them over with a deliberately haughty look.   
  
"…Well, well, well. This is quite possibly the single most sorry group I have seen in my life! Look at you people! My God…! You look like a bunch of bloody schoolchildren!" Another of Reevan's less-than-enjoyable qualities was the fact that his voice rose in pitch when he got angry or excited. Most of the Zentraedi were already cringing at this point. "You! Stand up straight, you silly sod! I will not have slouches in my group! And you in that Thunderbolt! You're behind the line! Scoot up, for God's sake!"   
  
"God, he doesn't have to be so darn prissy!" whispered one of the Zentraedi to the one to his right.   
  
Reevan immediately looked up. "Who said that? I said, who said that!?" He marched up to the very Zentraedi who made the comment. "What did you call me?!"   
  
The kid sweatdropped. "N-nothing, sir…!"   
  
"Oh, pull the other one! I heard you loud and clear! As punishment, you will do 50 pushups. Go! NOW!"   
  
"Uh…yes, sir!"   
  
"UP! DOWN! UP! DOWN…!"   
  
Back at the base, Blue Flight had just taken off.   
  
"Okay, everybody," said John. "We've got the southeastern zone. Keep your radars on max scan, and look everywhere you can. We've got to find out if we've got any unwanted visitors."   
  
"Roger that."   
  
"Understood."   
  
"Check."   
  
The Thunderbolts flew towards the southeast, into the desert regions…   
  
Meanwhile, Reevan's group of ragtags was finally moving out. Reevan's customized Neo Glaug was standing out in front of a force of Renegade armors, old Regult battle pods, and variable fighters.   
  
"All right, I want the VF units to spread out and set up a defensive line for us. The ground units will scan for that base. When we've determined its location, we'll plan an attack. Then…we'll fry those bloody idiots!"   
  
"Yes, sir…" came the whiny response from the whole group.   
  
"What was that…!?"   
  
"YES, SIR!!!!!!!"   
  
"Very good, men."   
  
It took a couple of hours, but eventually Blue Flight found what they were looking for.   
  
"Hey, John! Check out your left side! There's a really big burn mark on the deck!"   
  
"…Got it. Control, this is Blue 1. We've found a burnt area of ground that looks a lot like the marks left by retro-thrusters. I think we've found the landing site."   
  
_"Roger that. We will inform Red and Green Flights to rendezvous with you. In the meantime, look for any signs that might indicate the ship deployed troops."_   
  
"Understood. All right, ladies, let's hit the dirt and look around." They all converted to GERWALK mode and landed. They spent the next few minutes checking out the surrounding area.   
  
"This is Blue 4," said Tommy. "I've got some tracks here…and they don't look like locals!"   
  
"Excellent, Tommy! What's the deal?"   
  
"They're boot prints…which means that that ship must've offloaded some Zentraedi. And I think I see the tracks of powered armors and variable fighters, too…again, none of ours."   
  
"Which way are they headed?"   
  
"…Northwest."   
  
"Got it. Control, Blue 1 here. Tracks of ground units spotted, heading northwest. Right towards the base…"   
  
_"Understood, setting our scanners to pick up anything approaching from that direction. Do not leave your current positions until Red and Green Flights reach you."_   
  
"Will do. Blue 1 to Green Leader, what's your ETA?"   
  
_"About 10 minutes, give or take."_   
  
"Roger that. Blue 1 to Red Leader, what about you guys?"   
  
_"We'll be there in about 15 min-whoa! We've been bounced by hostile aircraft! They've all got Hammerhead markings. We're outnumbered here! Need assistance!"_   
  
"John, we'd better go help out! Green Flight's on the opposite side of us!"   
  
"Yeah, you're right. Control, Blue 1 here. Red Flight has been attacked by an unknown flight of aircraft and is requesting assistance. Do we have permission to help out?"   
  
_"…Affirmative. Go and help them!"_   
  
"You've got it. C'mon, people! Let's hit it!!"   
  
Upon reaching Red Flight, they found their comrades being swarmed by nine VF-4 Lightning III variable fighters.   
  
"Let's hit them with the high-maneuvers," said John. "That ought to thin their ranks a bit!"   
  
All four Blue aircraft fired their pairs of medium-range high-maneuverability missiles into the enemy swarm. The missiles hunted their targets ruthlessly, but not perfectly. Three of the nine managed to decoy their pursuers with flares. The other six were destroyed. Neither of Tommy's missiles hit.   
  
"Okay, we've dropped some of them! Let's get the stragglers!" They dove into the fray.   
  
"I'm on him!" said Tommy. He got a lock with his short-range missiles, and fired a short volley. To his dismay, the Lightning managed to get away by dropping flares. Knowing that his Thunderbolt had superior performance to the Lightning III, Tommy forced it into a turn by firing a couple rounds from the gun pod at the Lightning's tail section. As the Lightning broke left, he easily got inside his opponent's turning circle. He was in perfect position to make the guns kill.   
  
"I always did prefer my fish filleted." He fired, but as he did, two laser bolts whizzed by his cockpit, startling him and throwing off his shot. He only managed to damage the Lightning he was chasing before losing his target.   
  
"Whoa! What in the hell…damn it! I've got a Lightning on my tail!"   
  
"Relax, buddy. He's mine!" said John. John's Thunderbolt rolled in behind Tommy's pursuer. "When I tell you, break left hard."   
  
"Roger that," said a very nervous Tommy.   
  
"C'mon, baby…lock on…lock on…there! Tommy, now!!" Tommy turned hard left as John unleashed a barrage of missiles at his target. The Lightning stood no chance; it was vaporized.   
  
"Scratch one! Tommy, your six is officially sanitized. Let's get the rest of these suckers!"   
  
"Right!"   
  
Tommy eventually found the Lightning that had evaded him by the trail of smoke it was belching.   
  
"You are not getting away from me this time!" Tommy closed in, then transformed to GERWALK mode and fired several bursts, all of which missed. "Damn it!"   
  
The damaged Lightning suddenly matched Tommy's GERWALK configuration, spinning around and pointing right at him.   
  
"Oh, no!" It fired several blasts from its large-bore laser cannons. Tommy barely got out of the way in time. He changed back to Fighter mode and turned away from the Lightning. As he did, he fired his rearward-facing laser cannon at the Lightning. To his surprise, he scored a hit on the leg of the Lightning, knocking the variable fighter off-balance in the air. Tommy pressed his advantage and came back around, almost making the full circle before his opponent managed to get back into Fighter mode. Tommy pulled himself into another gun attack setup, and then let the Lightning have it. Bullets tore into the aircraft's body, tearing it to shreds.   
  
"I got him!" cried Tommy.   
  
"Kill confirmed!" said John. "Nice job!"   
  
"Thanks, but what about the other one?" A sudden explosion to Tommy's right answered his question.   
  
"This is Red 1. The final aircraft is neutralized. Thanks for your assistance, Blues."   
  
"That's what squadron mates are for," replied John. "I'd suggest we meet up with Green Flight and find those ground units…and there could still be air threats around here."   
  
"I concur," said Red 1. "Let's hurry on."   
  
Tommy sighed. _"And God have mercy on us…"_


	10. Our Man Reevan, Part Two

Chapter Ten: Our Man Reevan, Part Two   
-------------------------------------------------------------------   
"Commander Reevan!"   
  
"…And if he doesn't show me some respect soon, I'm going to walk out the bloody-huh? Yes, what is it?"   
  
"Several of our fighters got taken down, sir…"   
  
"WHAT!? Are you kidding me?! If you're kidding me, I'll kill you! Please say you're kidding me!!"   
  
"It's true. Apparently, they jumped a group of VF-11s, then got jumped themselves by another flight of -11s."   
  
"Damn! There'll be the devil to pay after this is over…!" Reevan put a hand to his forehead.   
  
Somewhere southeast of Reevan's group, the entirety of Cavalier Squadron had formed up and was back on the trail.   
  
_"Attention all Cavaliers, this is Control. We might have just found your targets. Our radar suddenly showed a set of blips moving toward our base. They've disappeared again, but you should still be able to catch them from behind in around 25 minutes assuming they haven't changed speed."_   
  
John looked at his radar. "Blue 1 to Green and Red Leaders. I suggest we try and pick them up with our ground radar. If we know their position, we'll be able to outflank them."   
  
"Sounds like a plan to me," said Green 1.   
  
"All right," said Red 1. "Blue Leader, have your boys split to the west slightly and look around there. Green Leader, take your group to the east. Red Flight will continue on this course and scan. As soon we find those suckers, we'll converge and give them a nasty surprise!"   
  
Back at base…   
  
"Uh…hello out there? Are you going to help me out yet or not?"   
  
Kina was still stuck in the armor. Not only would it not move, but the top wouldn't open, either.   
  
"Hey! This really sucks! Aren't you going to help me?" she whined over the loudspeaker system built into the armor.   
  
"We're trying, ma'am!" said a human engineer. "Just stay calm, okay?"   
  
"Aw…why me…?"   
  
The engineer who had spoken pulled one of his comrades aside.   
  
"So, what do you think?"   
  
"I say…slice it."   
  
The external audio pickup system registered that last sentence quite clearly in Kina's ears. "Excuse me…did somebody say 'Slice it'? Please don't joke around with me…!" she said with nervous chuckles and a sweatdrop.   
  
"Right. Get the laser torches."   
  
Kina gulped. "L-laser torches? Wait, wait…it's really not all that bad in here! I'm fine, really! You don't need to resort to THOSE kinds of measures, right…?"   
  
They brought up a modified destroid with a cutting laser.   
  
_"Okay, right across the chest!"_   
  
"No!" squeaked Kina.   
  
_"Hey, shouldn't we put some flame retardant on the surface we're cutting, in case it gets too hot?"_   
  
_"Nah, there's no time for flame retardant."_   
  
"There's always time for flame retardant!!" cried Kina. The laser started cutting into the armor. "Oh, God! I'm gonna be roasted!! This is scary!!!"   
  
_"Hey, any chance on cutting through that loudspeaker system?"_   
  
"Hey! I heard that…!"   
  
_"…Go for it."_   
  
"You guys are all really mean!!"   
  
Meanwhile, back in the air, Blue Flight had found their target.   
  
"This is Blue 1 to flight leaders! We've spotted the ground units on radar, still headed for the base at a good clip. We're transmitting the directional data now!"   
  
_"Roger."_   
  
_"Roger."_   
  
"Blue 1 to all Blues, hang on. We're gonna hit them as soon as we're formed up!"   
  
On the desert floor, Reevan's team was still advancing.   
  
"Sir…how much further is it?" said one of the Zentraedi armor pilots.   
  
"I don't know, damn it! We're not even sure where it is exactly yet, so shut your bleeding hole!"   
  
"Uh, Commander?"   
  
"WHAT?!"   
  
"Eh…well, I thought you'd just like to know that my threat warning system says somebody's painting us with radar beams again."   
  
Reevan swore under his breath. "Where from…?"   
  
"Behind us. Looks like air radar."   
  
"All right, tell the VF units to converge back there and catch them before they can get to us."   
  
Upon joining back up again, Cavalier Squadron descended to under 1000 feet AGL and headed right for the ground contacts.   
  
Tommy suddenly picked something up on his radar screen.   
  
"Hey, John? I'm showing several air contacts heading this way."   
  
"Air contacts? I thought I said to use ground radar."   
  
"Sorry, but I just had a bad feeling and checked. I think you guys were right about more air threats."   
  
"Hmm…confirmed. Blue 1 to flight leaders. We've got a problem. More airborne contacts are approaching us from 10 through 3 o'clock."   
  
"I see them," said Red 1. "All right…Blue Flight, how is your missile situation?"   
  
"We're all out of the high-maneuvers," said John. "We'll need to get in some kind of first strike…"   
  
"Okay…let's try this. Red 3 and 4 will join your group, and hit the ground units with you."   
  
"This is Green 1. Green 3 and Green 4 are raring to strafe up some ground targets, too. I can spare them."   
  
"Roger that," said John.   
  
"I'm also going to contact home plate and tell them to send Crow Squadron out here with their Star Mirages. They'll give us a hand in keeping the fighters off of your butts. Good luck, Blues."   
  
"Same to you, Red Leader. All right, people. Let's give them a nasty surprise!"   
  
The group of eight aircraft moved on, unaware that their cover was already blown…   
  
"They're getting closer now, sir. The spikes are getting stronger."   
  
"…All right, lads. Contingency plan. Turn it around!"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Face 'em! They'll be expecting to get a clean shot at our backs, but instead they'll fly right into our guns!"   
  
Upon reaching the 80-mile mark, the Green and Red fighters moved up in the formation. They got locks with their medium-range high-maneuverability missiles, and opened fire. Eight missiles headed for their targets.   
  
"Missile warning!" cried one of the Zentraedi soldiers.   
  
"Don't just stand there, idiots! Blast 'em out of the sky!!" They opened fire, trying to hit the missiles as they got within range of their guns. Reevan's accurate shots took down a few missiles, but the wild shots of his subordinates missed consistently. About four of them, all Regult pods, were destroyed. A single Renegade was hit and badly damaged.   
  
"Oh, bollacks…!"   
  
The eight variable fighters sped up, and descended even more.   
  
"Get ready for a quick missile run, boys! They're going to be ticked after that!! Hey, Tommy, are you okay back there?"   
  
"I'm good, man. I'll be better once this is over, but…"   
  
"Just checking. All right, here we go!" They reached SRM range and unleashed a huge swarm of missiles into Reevan's group. Tommy and John were now out of missiles. Everyone else still had a couple.   
  
"Tommy, let's go to Soldier mode and land. Everyone else, give us cover until you're Winchester!"   
  
"Right!"   
  
"All the way in, sir!"   
  
The two Thunderbolts transformed, and alighted on the ground. They had a decent view of the chaos in Reevan's ranks. Most of the armors there were boosting around like crazy to avoid the missiles…and some of them failed. Wreckage littered the ground at their feet from damaged or destroyed units.   
  
"Damn it, you fools! Stay calm!" shouted Reevan. "Stop acting like a bunch of children!"   
  
"But they're shooting at us!"   
  
"I'LL shoot you if you don't get it together!!!"   
  
"Y-yes, sir!!"   
  
Meanwhile, Tommy and John were slowly flanking Reevan's group, approaching them from the side.   
  
"So, what are we gonna do, John?"   
  
"We'll wait right here, and hope they don't catch us until at least two of our pals get down here. You see what I see?"   
  
Tommy looked carefully out at the armors. "Hey…that must be the Glaug that busted up Green Flight a while back!"   
  
"Yeah…only it's not just a Glaug. Look at those arms, and the main body!"   
  
"…You're right…that's a U.N. Spacy Neo Glaug…or at least, it used to be a Spacy Neo Glaug. The 'Heads must've swiped it and performed one hell of an overhaul on her."   
  
"That'd be my guess-whoa!" A Renegade suddenly opened fire on them. "We've been busted! Let's move!"   
  
The Renegade that had attacked them boosted after him, only to eat two pairs of short-range missiles in the chest and explode.   
  
"What?! Two of them landed?" shouted Reevan.   
  
"Yes, sir. Should we pursue?"   
  
"…No. I'll handle those insolent brats myself." Reevan's Neo Glaug boosted upward, transformed into its flight mode, and flew in the direction of Tommy and John's Thunderbolts.   
  
"Whew! They got that sucker!" said Tommy. "Thank God!"   
  
"Yeah, it's…oh, boy…!"   
  
"What is it?" asked Tommy.   
  
"Look!" Tommy turned around…and saw what was coming after them.   
  
"Hit the deck!" Both Thunderbolts ducked as the Neo Glaug buzzed them. It passed behind them, then converted back to its walking form and spun back around, landing on the desert floor.   
  
Tommy noticed a light on his comm system. "Hey, John! I'm being signaled from a different frequency. You?"   
  
"Same. I think he wants to have a word with us…" They switched frequencies. "Who is this?"   
  
"Well, well, well. You two have obviously been very naughty boys, trying to sneak up on us like that. Where IS your honor?"   
  
Tommy and John sweatdropped.   
  
"A British…"   
  
"…Zentraedi."   
  
A popped vein appeared on Reevan's forehead. "I'm a HALF-Zentraedi, you bloody imbeciles!"   
  
"Whatever," said John. "What the hell do you want?"   
  
"Insolent…I just wanted to meet my enemies before I blast them into bits."   
  
"Oh yeah? Well, take a quick look skyward before you make a final decision on that."   
  
"What are you talking about-BLOODY HELL!" A missile swarm was headed right for him. He instantly boosted away and shot down most of the missiles with his light autocannons. The rest were easily dodged. Tommy and John stared, dumbstruck.   
  
"I don't believe it…he really got away from that!" thought Tommy.   
  
Reevan laughed haughtily. "Any more surprises? No? Oh, bother…I suppose I'll just have to make sport of splattering your machines all over this desert!" The transmission cut out.   
  
John scowled. "Tommy…"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Brace yourself. This is going to be a killer!"   
  
Reevan opened fire with his heavy particle cannon as he landed. Tommy and John boosted away in opposite directions. Reevan turned towards John, and unleashed a barrage of missiles at him.   
  
"Think again!" John fired his gun pod, shooting down each of the missiles as they came. He then aimed for the Neo Glaug and fired. Reevan simply boosted to the side to avoid the attack.   
  
"Hey, don't forget about me!" Tommy now had a shot at Reevan, and took it, expecting to catch him off guard. To his dismay, Reevan saw it coming and shot up into the sky. He then turned towards Tommy's Thunderbolt and fired more particle blasts.   
  
"Whoa!" Tommy jumped his fighter backwards to avoid the shots, then flipped the head laser forward and fired a few pulses. Again, Reevan easily dodged the attacks.   
  
"Damn it…John, we're in trouble. He's too fast to hit!" snarled Tommy.   
  
"Take it easy, buddy. We can beat this guy!"   
  
Reevan now fired his light autocannons at Tommy. Tommy easily blocked the attack with his anti-projectile shield, but was constantly being driven back.   
  
"John, he's all over me!"   
  
"Hang on, I've got you covered!" John rushed forward and again tried to hit Reevan with several bursts from the gun pod. This time, Reevan was clipped by a few shots before getting clear.   
  
"Grr…you stupid…!" The damage was trivial, but just the realization that he had been hit angered Reevan greatly. _"You'll pay for that!"_ He faced John again and fired a combination of particle blasts and missiles. John got out of the way of the particle blasts, but he couldn't get all of the missiles with his gun pod and barely managed to get his shield in front of them before they hit. Luckily, the shield was designed to withstand missiles as well as bullets.   
  
Tommy, meanwhile, transformed to Fighter mode and climbed up into the sky. He got to about 1000 feet, and then pulled back downward in a partial split-S. He was in a full nosedive.   
  
"Eat this!!" Tommy fired his gun pod again, raining bullets onto the Neo Glaug.   
  
Reevan looked up and saw the bullet shower coming for him. He boosted backwards, managing to dodge the lethal spray, and then tilted his particle cannon upward, firing multiple blasts at the diving aircraft.   
  
"Oh, no!" Tommy transformed to GERWALK mode, and managed to avoid being shredded with a few quick dodges. He then transformed into Soldier mode and attempted to fire again. Unfortunately, his ears were greeted by the "clip empty" warning sound.   
  
"Oh, no! I'm out of ammo! John, help!"   
  
"Coming right up!" John took aim with his head laser and fired at Reevan. The Neo Glaug again simply boosted away from the line of fire, but this gave Tommy the breathing room he needed as he pulled his Thunderbolt into a hover.   
  
"I guess now's as good a time as any to change clips," muttered Tommy as he dumped the empty clip and replaced it with a fresh one.   
  
"Tommy, you reloaded yet?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Good. Get back down here!" Tommy transformed back to Fighter mode to descend. As he did, Reevan locked onto him and fired his last few missiles at Tommy.   
  
"Tommy, look out!" cried John.   
  
"Oh, hell…!" Tommy dumped his flares, throwing off most of the missiles. A couple were still on him, though.   
  
"Tommy, go to Soldier mode and block with your shield!"   
  
"Right!" Tommy transformed, and barely managed to get the shield in the right position before it was hammered. The impact knocked his Thunderbolt backwards and caused it to fall over.   
  
"Are you all right, man?"   
  
"…I'm fine."   
  
Reevan fired more autocannon rounds, which Tommy managed to block with the shield as he got up. John fired a short burst of his gun pod to distract Reevan. The attempt succeeded, but now John's gun was empty. As he reloaded, Reevan saw his chance.   
  
"Now, you die!!" He prepared to fire his particle cannon again, but was stopped by a sudden blast from Tommy that struck the side of the Neo Glaug. "What?! You little twit! I'll teach you!"   
  
"Wow…I finally got a hit in on that guy!"   
  
"Nice shooting, Tommy, but I think we've been playing this wrong. What's the biggest weakness that the Neo Glaug has?"   
  
"Got me."   
  
"It's got almost nothing but long-range weapons!" This point was emphasized by the three particle blasts that came their way. As they dodged, John continued to speak. "It's got almost nothing for close-in fighting!"   
  
Tommy thought for a second, and then brightened. "Are you thinking about what I think you're thinking about?"   
  
John grinned. "Ready bayonets!" Both Thunderbolts deployed their anti-armor bayonet blades. They then rushed the Neo Glaug.   
  
Reevan laughed. "Oh, rushing in to meet your deaths, eh? Good-bye!!" He tried to hit them with autocannons, but they managed to block the shots all the way in with their shields. Reevan growled. _"Impossible!"_   
  
"Tommy, NOW!!" shouted John as they reached the Glaug. Tommy's Thunderbolt stopped boosting, kicked its legs under itself, squatted, and leapt forward. As he passed the Neo Glaug, he swung his bayonet, cleanly slicing the heavy particle cannon off at its mount on top of the pod. At the same time, John aimed a low swing at the Neo Glaug, removing the machine's right leg and causing it to collapse to the ground.   
  
"Ha!! We did it!!!" cried Tommy.   
  
"He ain't going to be so cocky anymore!" replied John. Both Thunderbolts walked around the disabled Neo Glaug, pointing their gun pods at it.   
  
"Freeze right there, pal! You can consider yourself a prisoner of the U.N. Spacy," said John over the comm system. "Come on out with no sidearm and your hands where we can see 'em!"   
  
Reevan laughed. "I don't think so, you bloody fool…I'm in a mood to go out with a bang…nudge, nudge, wink, wink." He pressed a button on his instrument panel. "See you in hell!"   
  
John's eyes grew wide. "Tommy, he's gonna blow it up! Let's go!!!!" They quickly transformed to Fighter mode and blazed away just as the tremendous explosion of its self-destruct system consumed the Neo Glaug.   
  
"Whew…" said Tommy, "that was too close!"   
  
"Yeah…but at least he's toast. Hey…what about the rest of the armors?"   
  
_"This is Green 3. All of the remaining powered armors and battlepods have been eliminated."_   
  
John sweatdropped. "Well, that answers that question. Blue 1 here. Did you capture any of them?"   
  
_"Negative, Blue Leader. We tried, but the disabled ones just blew themselves to hell."_   
  
"Damn. Blue 1 to flight leaders, what's your status?"   
  
_"This is Red 1. We've managed to finish off the incoming fighters, and are heading in to assist the ground battle."_   
  
"Don't worry about that, it's all been said and done here."   
  
_"I see. Glad to hear it. I guess that's a mission accomplished, then."_   
  
"Roger that. Hey, Tommy?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"That was a sweet move, man. You lopped that cannon off like a pro!"   
  
Tommy blushed. "…Thanks, man."   
  
John smiled. "All right, boys, we're finished here. Let's bring it on home…and get some rest!"


	11. Strengthening Bonds

Chapter Eleven: Strengthening Bonds   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
Kina slumped forward in her chair. It had been several hours since the armor incident. Aivea was sitting next to her, trying to cheer her up without success.   
  
"I've never been so embarrassed! Now everybody's going to think I'm a big chicken!" she half-whined, half-sobbed. Tears started to form in her eyes. "I think I need a hug…!"   
  
Aivea gave her one. "There, there, Kina. Just relax for now. Besides, this time, it wasn't your fault! The armor stopped working on you, that's all!"   
  
"I know…" sniffled Kina, "but it was still humiliating…"   
  
Aivea gave Kina a tissue. "Well, maybe you could use something to get your mind off of it."   
  
"…Maybe that would be a good idea."   
  
Aivea smiled. "Yeah! Hmm…I know! You're always saying how much you like music, right? Why not play something soothing when you get home?"   
  
Kina turned to Aivea, and gave a sad little smile. "Okay, I'll do that. Thanks, buddy."   
  
"Anytime."   
  
Meanwhile, outside the base…   
  
"Uh-uh! No way! Not again! I'm not going through that kind of pain again!"   
  
John was trying to convince Tommy to participate in another…celebration.   
  
"Come on, man! We busted up one of their big players! It's worth celebrating!"   
  
"It's not worth waking up to the agony! Forget it!!"   
  
John sighed. "All right. I guess I can't blame you; those hangovers are hell. Where are you going to do, then?"   
  
"I don't know. Probably go and get in some downtime at home. I almost died about a thousand times back there; I think I deserve it!"   
  
John laughed. "You need to toughen up, my friend. But…you gotta do what you've gotta do. Take care of yourself."   
  
Tommy chuckled. "I will, if you take your own advice," he said with a wink. John smiled.   
  
A couple of hours passed. Both Kina and Tom were at their respective homes at the same time. They were both lying down on their beds.   
  
_"Aivea was right,"_ thought Kina. _"Maybe I'm just too sensitive for my own good."_   
  
_"Perhaps John had a point,"_ thought Tommy. _"Maybe I could use some toughening up."_   
  
_"I don't think I'll ever be happy,"_ thought both of them in unison, though they didn't know it.   
  
Kina got up to turn on her radio, then stopped. "Hmm…why not?" She picked up her telephone and dialed zero.   
  
"Operator."   
  
"Yes, I was wondering if you could find me any numbers for the last name 'Rickenbacker'?"   
  
"Just a minute…there's only one. I'll connect you."   
  
Tommy was about to get himself a drink when the phone rang.   
  
"Huh? If that's John, he'd better not be drunk!" He picked up the phone. "Hello?"   
  
"Uh…hi. It's Kina."   
  
"Kina? Hello! How'd you find me?"   
  
Kina sweatdropped. "Eh…I used the operator. Hope that's okay and all…!"   
  
"Of course it's okay. What's up?"   
  
Kina sighed. "You're probably going to think I'm weird, but…I wanted to talk to you again...in person, that is."   
  
Tommy cocked an eyebrow. "Sure, that'd be fine. Where?"   
  
"Uh…how about the big café by the park?"   
  
"Okay, I'll see you there. Bye!"   
  
Kina hung up the phone. "Well…that went nicely. Better get ready…"   
  
About 20 minutes later, Tommy arrived at the café Kina had mentioned. At first, he didn't spot her because a group of Zentraedi were sitting at a table directly in his line of sight. He finally saw her when he went around them. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and black jeans.   
  
"Kina!"   
  
"Hello down there! How are you?"   
  
"Neck's cramping a little, but I'm okay otherwise."   
  
Kina smiled. "I'll fix that." She lifted him up to the table. "How's it now?" she said with a giggle.   
  
"Much better. So, what did you want to talk about?"   
  
"Well…Tommy, did you ever wonder if…you weren't cut out for your job?"   
  
Tommy mused for a bit before responding. "When I started out, I did. Not so much anymore, though. Why?"   
  
Kina blushed a little. "Well…I'd better start from the beginning…" Kina explained what had occurred: how she had gotten stuck in the malfunctioning lift armor and how she had panicked as they got her out of it.   
  
"Hmm…well, to be blunt, I don't see why you're so embarrassed. That would've scared the hell out of me, too!"   
  
Kina sighed. "I don't know. I guess I just have a tendency to let it all out when things screw up for me."   
  
Tommy looked up at her with a combination of pity and understanding in his eyes. Not quite sure how to express it, he decided to walk over to one of her huge hands and put his own on top of it. It looked silly, but the point was made quite clear to Kina, who couldn't help but smile a little when she saw it.   
  
"Kina, let me tell you something. I think it'll help you to not feel so embarrassed."   
  
"What is it?"   
  
Tommy grinned. "I lost my nerve in the cockpit once. I've been through the whole thing."   
  
"Really?"   
  
"Yep. I don't like to talk about it, but I think you need to hear it."   
  
Kina raised both her eyebrows. "Wow…that's really nice of you!"   
  
Tommy smiled. "One time, when I was still in training, I was trying to transform my fighter, and it got stuck in between modes. I nearly had a heart attack. It was just fine…and then there was this loud CLANK sound. I really thought the machine was going to tear itself apart!"   
  
Kina gasped. "Oh! What had happened?"   
  
"Turned out the gears had just rusted up a bit. It didn't take long to clear the jam and finish the change. But it scared me so bad that I almost quit!"   
  
Kina's eyes were huge. "I…I'm sorry…"   
  
Tommy smiled. "Don't be. You're not as embarrassed anymore, are you?"   
  
"…No, actually. Thanks…I guess I did need that."   
  
"Anytime. And then there was early this damned morning…"   
  
Kina gave him a confused look. "This morning? What happened?"   
  
Tommy suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth. "Uh…did I say something happened this morning?" he said with contrived laughter in a vain attempt to cover up his mistake. "Nothing, really!"   
  
Kina gave him a sidelong smile. Tommy sighed.   
  
"Look…um…I wasn't supposed to blurt that out, so…"   
  
Kina laughed. "I didn't hear it."   
  
"You're an angel, Kina."   
  
Kina chuckled. "Why, thank you."   
  
Tommy then blushed a little. "Uh…I really meant it…"   
  
Kina lifted her eyebrows, and then smiled warmly. "Thanks!" She looked downward. "Um…I wish I…"   
  
Tommy blinked. "You wish you what?"   
  
Kina sweatdropped. "…I wish that…I wish that I could always be there to help you. You know, if you ever got into trouble."   
  
Tommy blushed. "That's…damn! That's one hell of a kind thing to say, Kina. Thank you, and thanks for the times you DID save my life." Kina's light blush grew deep red. "I wish the same."   
  
"…Really? You'd wish that for me, too?"   
  
Tommy nodded. "I would. I mean it."   
  
Kina beamed. "Tommy…thanks."   
  
Tommy grinned. "Might not always be the most stylistic rescue like when I stopped that drone, but hey, that's what anti-projectile shields are for, right?" Kina laughed.   
  
"Yeah, and don't forget to load up on ammo before you go out!" Both of them laughed together. As they stopped, they looked into each other's eyes.   
  
_"I never thought I'd meet such a wonderful person in my life,"_ they again thought in unison.   
  
As Kina ran a hand through her long emerald hair, Tommy broke the silence. "Kina, can I ask you something now?"   
  
"Shoot."   
  
"I'm just curious…do you like being a Zentraedi?"   
  
Kina thought for a second. "It's a real love-hate thing. You see, even micronized Zentraedi tend to have a strength and stamina advantage over most humans. I love being able to walk long distances without getting really tired, and not freezing my butt off in the late fall. But…I hate being a potential hazard. I don't think I'd ever forgive myself for stepping on someone or falling on them."   
  
"I understand. Sounds like a hell of a dilemma."   
  
Kina chuckled. "Bingo. Now, right back at you. What's life like down there…ooh, shouldn't have phrased it like that…!" She snapped her fingers.   
  
"No offense taken. Basically, you're okay as long as you remember to look up."   
  
Kina laughed. "Yeah, I can see where that'd help!" She gave him a sympathetic look. "It must be awfully frightening. You know, falling like when that goofball rear-ended me in the park and I dropped you."   
  
"Wasn't a picnic, I'll tell you that." He chuckled. "Not to mention the ground isn't the best thing to break a fall with." This made Kina laugh again.   
  
"Good thing I always keep my hands soft, huh?" Out of playfulness, she rubbed the top of his head with her index finger.   
  
"Whoa, easy there!" said Tommy good-naturedly. "I'm gonna need that later!"   
  
Kina giggled. "Couldn't help myself." They laughed again.   
  
Tommy reached with his hand and placed it on top of Kina's finger.   
  
Kina suppressed a laugh. "Handshake?"   
  
"Uh…working on it…!" Tommy repositioned his hand several times, thoroughly amusing Kina to no end. Eventually, he found a position that was close enough to a handshake. Even then, Kina moved her finger a bit too much, and Tommy was jerked down a bit.   
  
"Sorry!" said Kina.   
  
"No problem."   
  
Kina gave another of her room-lighting smiles. "I appreciate the sentiment, though. It was…well, really sweet of ya."   
  
Tommy sweatdropped. "Uh…thanks…!"   
  
"Really. I mean it." Tommy couldn't find a good response to this, and just turned bright red. He then looked up at her, as if to apologize for not saying anything back. Kina half-sensed this and spoke first. "No, it's okay. You don't have to say anything."   
  
Tommy sighed, and then chuckled. "…I think I need to sit down." Kina just smiled down at him.


	12. Catching Some Waves

Chapter Twelve: Catching Some Waves   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------   
_"What in the world…?"_   
  
_"That's not normal…"_   
  
_"She…didn't drop it!"_   
  
A day had passed. Kina was back at work, but this time, she was not herself by a long shot. When lunchtime came, Aivea had only one thing to ask.   
  
"What happened to you, Kina?"   
  
Kina looked up at her with the same contented smile she had worn all day. "What do you mean?"   
  
"You know what I mean. You haven't had one accident all day, and you've got the energy of a little kid. And I've never seen you just…glowing like this! I've seen you happy, but you look like you just won the lottery! Please, you've gotta tell me what happened yesterday!"   
  
Kina leaned back in her chair. "If you must pry…"   
  
"I must! I must!"   
  
"I talked to Tommy again. I think we must have…I dunno…compatible spirits or something like that, because every time we talk, we get closer…!"   
  
Aivea chuckled. "So that's it. In that case, good for you!" She patted her friend on the shoulder.   
  
"Thanks."   
  
"Kina, there is one thing, though…"   
  
"Mmm?"   
  
"…Since you're suddenly on a roll…you wouldn't try to top me for Employee of the Month, would ya?" Kina fell over.   
  
Meanwhile, in the briefing room…   
  
"Gentlemen," said Commander Ironsides, "I know that you are somewhat tired after the last mission. You'll have to tough it out, because we have a new problem. Our radar spotted an unauthorized entry early this morning over the Crystal Ocean to the east. It had a signature similar to Zentraedi landing ships, but much larger. It landed feet-wet somewhere in this area here. We suspect that an amphibious attack is about to come our way. Be prepared to fight at low altitudes, and don't forget that, if necessary, you can take your fighters underwater for a short period of time. Blue Flight is up again for this one. Any questions?"   
  
Tommy spoke up. "Sir."   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Will we have any support from blue-water naval vessels?"   
  
"Yes. The UNSS _Potomac_ and her group are heading down there, too. They've already got a recon flight in the air, trying to find the landing ship. Once they find it, you guys will sink it. Any more questions? No? All right. You're dismissed; happy hunting."   
  
In the locker room, Tommy and John were suiting up yet again.   
  
"You know, man, I think the Commander's trying to squeeze all the usefulness out of us," said John.   
  
"I hear you. Say…have you ever really…you know, gone underwater in a VF?"   
  
John chuckled. "Once. It's not something you want to try if you can avoid it, though. Firstly, the verniers don't like the water at all. They really struggle. Also, forget about using missiles underwater. It's either the gun pod or the lasers. Plus, if you fall below about 100-150 feet under the surface…game over!"   
  
Tommy blinked. "You mean…?" He pointed downward.   
  
John nodded gravely. "Like a damn rock."   
  
Tommy sweatdropped and gulped. "Oh, boy…!"   
  
As they took off, John's words still rang in Tommy's ears.   
  
_"Like a damn rock…"_   
  
Tommy sighed to himself. _"I really hope I can stay above the water!"_   
  
"Tommy? Hey, Tommy!" It was John.   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Aren't you going to report in?"   
  
Tommy sweatdropped. "Oh, sorry. Blue 4, all ready for action."   
  
"Right. Okay, who's up for a little fishing?"   
  
"I know I am," said Blue 2.   
  
"Same here," said Blue 3.   
  
"Hope they're biting out there," said Tommy.   
  
They passed the coastline about an hour later, flying high over the waters of Sweetwater's beautiful Crystal Ocean. The largest body of water on the planet, the Crystal Ocean was an important asset to life on the colony world. Needless to say, protection of this giant expanse of water was of paramount importance. However, it was also important to stop any kind of attack that could come across the ocean, and as the Thunderbolts flew onward, that was the first thing on their pilots minds…   
  
_"Is our ship faring well?"_   
  
_"Yes, sir. The insertion went off without a hitch."_   
  
_"And its complement of Skimmers?"_   
  
_"All in combat-ready condition. We'll pay them back for Reevan's death, sir."_   
  
_"I still can't believe he blew it. That idiot! I knew he was too cocky for his own good…! All right. Tell them to launch the Skimmers ASAP."_   
  
_"Yes, sir."_ The standing man turned around and left, whilst the sitting man pressed a button on his desk.   
  
A computerized voice came out from a speaker. _"You have 75 messages from your mother."_   
  
_"GAH!"_ The man fell out of his chair.   
  
Back in the skies over the Crystal Ocean, Blue Flight got the good news.   
  
"This is Blue 1 to all units! The recon flight's found the target! It's about 100 miles to the southeast. Everybody descend to below 1000 feet to avoid getting picked up on radar. This is it!"   
  
They all descended and turned towards their objective. It was only about 10 minutes before they hit visual range.   
  
"Blue 1 here. We've got a tally ho on the target!"   
  
Tommy blinked. "Damn…that's a fairly big ship!"   
  
John smiled. "Okay, everybody, let's say hello. Ready medium-range missiles, and fire when you've got the lock!" The Thunderbolts were carrying normal medium range missiles instead of the high-maneuverability versions; each fighter carried six. "Missiles away!" said John.   
  
Each Thunderbolt followed suit shortly, firing all but two of their supplies of medium-range missiles. As the missiles closed in, several close-in guns opened fire on the missiles. Five of the sixteen were shot down, but the rest slammed into the hull of the ship. However, the ship stayed afloat.   
  
"Whoa…that thing's got some armor!" said Tommy. "What do we do now?"   
  
John grinned. "We find a weakness, and take advantage of it!"   
  
They closed in on the ship. Suddenly, a small hatch opened on the side of its hull.   
  
"What the heck is that?" asked Blue 3.   
  
"Hmm…got me," said John, "but I don't like it…!" As the hatch finished opening, several small watercraft jetted out of it. They were streamlined in hull shape, with several guns on the top of the hull and at the sides. Missile launchers could also be seen near the guns. They moved at an incredible speed for blue-water craft, kicking up huge wake sprays behind them.   
  
"What in the world are those things?" asked Tommy.   
  
John scowled. "Skimmers…!"   
  
Tommy blinked. "Skimmers?"   
  
"Yeah. Drone assault boats. Heavily armed and meaner than angry hornets. Add that to the fact they can keep pace with older VF models-which includes our Thunderbolts-and you've got some nasty little boats."   
  
Blue 3 chuckled. "Nasty, huh? I'll just give them a nice missile swarm, and no more boats!"   
  
"Hold it there, 3. They're tough to get with missiles, unless you're using high-maneuvers or minis. They can turn on a dime and have the ability to dive underwater really fast. Fight them smart, you guys read me?"   
  
"I read you, Lead."   
  
"Got it."   
  
"Understood-oh, damn! Missile alert!!" The Skimmers had fired a huge barrage of short-range missiles at Blue Flight. They immediately broke formation and dodged the missiles.   
  
"Use your guns if you can; they've got the best chance at hitting!" cried John as he dived to attack. Several Skimmers turned their guns upward and opened fire on him as he dived. John performed several rolls to avoid being hit, then transformed to GERWALK mode and fired down at them with his gun pod. He scored several hits on one, managing to sink it. Quickly changing back to Fighter mode, he sped up and pulled back up, his HUD pitch ladder sinking as he did.   
  
"Jeez! There's gunfire everywhere!" said Tommy. "I can't get close to them!"   
  
"Use a couple of missiles to distract them!" replied John. "You probably won't hit them, but they'll stop firing to dodge. Then, you can light 'em up!!"   
  
"Okay, I'm giving it a shot!" He locked onto one of the boats and launched two short-range missiles. The Skimmer stopped firing and made a hard evasive turn…right into Tommy's sights.   
  
"Night-night!" Tommy fired a burst from his gun pod, totaling the Skimmer. "That's one!" He immediately got more missile warnings, and quickly dodged. "Whoa!! Don't they ever run out of missiles?!"   
  
"Not in time," said John. "There's too many Skimmers. We won't be able to sink the big ship until we clear these suckers out!"   
  
Tommy suddenly brightened. "John, I've got an idea!"   
  
"Really? What is it?"   
  
"We use our last medium-range missiles to take out that hatch supplying all the Skimmers. Then, we can pick them off at leisure!"   
  
"Sounds good. Let's just hope they hit!" John and Tommy turned towards the large ship at high speed, avoiding all of the incoming Skimmer fire.   
  
"Locked on!"   
  
"Ditto!" They fired one pair of missiles each. The missiles streaked in for their targets, almost immediately triggering the missile defense system. One missile was picked off, but the others all were dead on, flying into the hatch and impacting on some unknown surface. The resulting explosion trashed the entire hatch and sent a good shockwave throughout the ship. In spite of that, it was still above the water.   
  
"Got it!!" cried Tommy.   
  
"Good job, man. Let's get these Skimmers!" They turned back towards the enemy boats, dodging fire as they went. The entire flight continued making strafing runs on the boats, then pulling away to avoid missiles and gunfire. However, the real fun started shortly after that…   
  
"Damn!" cried Tommy. "I'm Winchester! No missiles left!"   
  
"All right…go to Soldier mode and hold just over the water!"   
  
Tommy blinked. "Are you nuts?!"   
  
"No, I'm serious! You can glide around over the surface, similar to what they do. Try it!"   
  
"Okay…" Tommy dived down and converted to Soldier mode. He brought his Thunderbolt down to just over the water's surface, and found himself sliding along it. "Whoa…this is kinda cool!"   
  
"Don't get too enthralled. You've got Skimmers on ya!"   
  
Tommy spun his Thunderbolt around, making it look like the craft was skating backwards on the water. Two Skimmers were chasing him, guns blazing.   
  
"Oh yeah?!" Tommy opened fire on them with his gun pod. "Eat it! Eat it!! Sleep with the fish!!!" He shot both of the pursuing boats apart. "Ha! Take that, glitches!"   
  
"Great shooting, Tommy!" said John, who transformed his fighter and came down to join him. "Yee-haw!!!" He immediately started riddling Skimmers full of holes.   
  
It took about five minutes to finish off the last of the Skimmers. However, by that time, the entire squadron was out of missiles!   
  
"Now what do we do, Lead?" asked Blue 2.   
  
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" John mused for a second. "The ship won't have much armor on the keel. Somebody will have to gut it from below…an underwater attack."   
  
Tommy gulped. "Under…water?"   
  
"Yes. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, Tommy."   
  
Tommy took a deep breath. "I'll do it."   
  
John blinked. "What?"   
  
"I said, I'll do it. I'll go under and sink that monstrosity."   
  
John sighed. "Are you absolutely sure?"   
  
"Call it facing a fear."   
  
John chuckled. "Okay. But if you have trouble under there, you holler at us, got it?"   
  
"Yes." With that, Tommy allowed his Thunderbolt to sink under the water. It was amazingly clear, to such a degree that Tommy immediately knew why it was called the Crystal Ocean.   
  
_"Okay, Tommy. You can do this…forget about what happened when you were a kid!"_   
  
John suddenly called in on the radio. "Tommy, you there?"   
  
"Yeah. What is it?"   
  
"There's more to this than I know, isn't there?"   
  
Tommy sighed. "Yeah. When I was a kid I almost drowned in a big lake that was near our house. I barely passed the water survival courses at the Academy."   
  
"So that's what you meant by facing a fear."   
  
"Yeah."   
  
John smiled. "You can do this, man. Just get under that thing and gut it!"   
  
Tommy returned the smile. "Right!"   
  
He rushed in, towards the keel of the huge ship.   
  
"Okay, let's see what we have to work with…whoa!" His Thunderbolt was shaken by the wake from the propulsion jets under the ship. He quickly got away from it before it took away his control. He then positioned himself at a point just aft of the middle.   
  
"Here I go…" He opened fire on the keel with his gun pod. Surprisingly, it had an effect, causing several holes in the bottom. "Huh. Well, if that made a few little holes…" He extended his bayonet and jammed it into the keel. Next, he boosted down the length of the keel, ripping a long gash in the bottom of the ship.   
  
"Ha! That got it…oh, boy…!" The ship finally started to go. The water began to widen the gash in the keel by pressure on the sides of the rip. It was going to sink right on top of him! Tommy quickly boosted away, barely getting out of the way of the sinking ship.   
  
Above the water, the rest of Blue Flight watched the ship go down.   
  
"He did it! He sank that sucker!" cried Blue 2.   
  
"Yeah…but where is he? Blue 4, this is Blue 1. Respond!"   
  
"…Blue 4 here. I made it…barely…!"   
  
John laughed. "Glad to hear it, man!"   
  
Tommy's Thunderbolt rose above the surface of the water, on the other side of the sinking ship.   
  
"I think I need to dry off…I've had enough water sports to last me a lifetime…!"


	13. Scramble, Part One

Chapter Thirteen: Scramble, Part One   
----------------------------------------------------------------------   
_"I am getting really sick and tired of hearing these kinds of reports…!"_   
  
_"I'm sorry, sir. But what can we do?"_   
  
_"…I say it's about time we dropped this façade of sneakiness. It's time for an all-out assault."_   
  
_"All-out assault, sir?"_   
  
_"Damned right. I want you to gather up our most bloodthirsty VF pilots and send them after those U.N. Spacy losers!"_   
  
_"Yes, sir!"_ The phone on the desk rang. The man sitting there picked it up.   
  
_"Yes? Oh…Mom. How are you? Yes, yes, I know I haven't returned your calls in a while."_ He covered the receiver. _"You'd better go; this is gonna take some time."_   
  
_"I understand, sir."_   
  
_"…Sorry, what was that? Oh, come on! You know I haven't forgotten about you…!"_   
  
A while later, back on Sweetwater, Kina and Tommy were on their fourth "date". This time, they were sitting by the edge of a really short cliff. Well, it was short to Kina, as her feet nearly touched the ground at the bottom. To Tommy, it was still a long way down.   
  
"…You're a fan of Mel Brooks' movies, too?" said Kina.   
  
"You mean there are people who aren't?" replied Tommy. Kina laughed.   
  
"Point taken. Hey, do you hear that?"   
  
Tommy cocked an eyebrow. "Hear what?"   
  
"Sounds like a car engine."   
  
"Really? I don't hear anything."   
  
Kina blushed a little. "Oops, sorry…Zentraedi hearing."   
  
"Wait, now I hear it. Sounds like a jeep…hey, look!"   
  
They turned around. A jeep was closing in on them at high speed. As it reached them, the driver hit the brakes and slid to a stop, parallel to the cliff edge. The driver jumped out and rushed to them. It was John.   
  
"Hey, isn't that your friend?"   
  
"Yes, it is. Hey, John!" John ran right up to Tommy.   
  
"Whew…I caught you just in time…what were you doing here, anyway?"   
  
Tommy smiled. "Just talking to Kina here. Kina, this is my friend and wingmate, John Peterson."   
  
Kina gave him a warm smile. "Hi!"   
  
John's eyes widened a bit, but it didn't take him long to find his politeness. "Pleased to meet you, Kina. Tommy, we've got problems."   
  
"Problems?"   
  
"Yeah! The Commander wants the entire squadron back at base ASAP!"   
  
Tommy pursed his lips. "I see…" He turned back to Kina. "I'm sorry, Kina. Another time?"   
  
Kina smiled. "Of course. But please take care of yourself."   
  
"I will. All right, John, let's go."   
  
Kina watched them leave.   
  
_"I hope he'll be okay…"_   
  
Upon reaching the base, and getting into their flight suits, they rushed into the briefing room. As usual, everyone else was already there.   
  
"Okay, gentlemen," began the Commander, "we have a serious situation on our hands. We picked up multiple contacts outside the planet's atmosphere, all of which are headed right for us. They will enter the atmosphere shortly. We have not been able to identify them yet, but a recon aircraft and its escorting fighters near the predicted point of entry is working on that problem."   
  
An officer walked into the room. He had the markings of a communications worker on his uniform.   
  
"Commander Ironsides, the recon aircraft is reporting in. They've spotted the bogies."   
  
"Very good. Let's tune in, shall we?" He pressed a button on the table near him, and a channel opened up to the recon aircraft.   
  
_"This is Pathfinder 10-6. We've got contact with the unknowns. The entry flames are obscuring them, but that should cease shortly. Hold it…they're cooling down…oh, hell…! They're all variable fighters, Hammerhead markings!"_   
  
John and Tommy looked at each other, then back to the screen.   
  
_"They're all heavily armed and…oh, no, we've been spotted!! We're under attack! Repeat, we are under-"_ The transmission was squelched, leaving only the hiss of static. The Commander immediately turned to the squadron.   
  
"We've got very little time! Get to your aircraft and stop them!"   
  
Outside the base, the air raid siren was wailing like no tomorrow. The flight controllers were barking orders over the PA system:   
  
_"The base is about to come under attack! Repeat, an attack is imminent! Scramble all pilots! Scramble all aircraft! Scramble! Scramble!!!!"_   
  
Tommy and John, now in full flight gear, hurried to their waiting VF-11s. Each aircraft was fitted with the max load of 20 short-range missiles. The Thunderbolts were marshaled to their takeoff positions as fast as possible, but the wait still seemed like an eternity.   
  
"Damn it…we've got to get up there!" growled John. "The missiles will be plunging in any minute now!!"   
  
"Yeah. This really sucks!" said Tommy.   
  
Their anger was compounded when somebody shouted out the two words nobody wanted to hear.   
  
_"They're here!!"_   
  
Missiles suddenly rained down from the sky, slamming into targets on the ground. A pair of waiting Star Mirages was instantly turned into scrap metal. A cluster of fuel trucks was hit, sending a titanic fireball into the air.   
  
"Son of a…we've got to get airborne!!" cried Tommy. Luckily, Blue Flight was the next to take off. Within a minute, all four members were in the air. Almost instantly, they all had missile warnings.   
  
"Oh, jeez!" They scattered and barely dodged the incoming missiles.   
  
"That was way too close," said John. "Okay, let's show these guys that they're not welcome!"   
  
"Yeah!"   
  
"Right on!"   
  
"All the way, buddy!"   
  
The incoming bandits were now within visual range of the base. It was dominated by VF-4 Lightning III fighters, but some VF-14A Hunters, VA-3A Invaders, and VF-11B Thunderbolts were also in the group.   
  
"Okay, here's the plan," said John. "Try to target as many fighters as you can at once, then send your missiles after them. We need to thin out their ranks!"   
  
They turned into the incoming swarm. As they got within missile range, they each targeted several enemies and opened fire. Other squadrons did the same. The resulting missile swarm created a huge panic in the enemy formations, causing breakaways and split-ups all over. A couple even crashed into each other. Others fell victim to the missiles, getting ripped apart by explosions.   
  
"That did some damage!" cried John. "Come on! It's dueling time!!" The Hammerhead and U.N. Spacy forces met at the merge, and a giant swirling dogfight ensued in the skies a few miles short of the base.   
  
Tommy immediately had a pair of fighters on him, a VF-14 and a VF-4. They each tried to hit him with missiles.   
  
"Whoa!!" Tommy broke hard right, dropping flares all the way. The missiles detonated behind him, but he was still being pursued. Tommy decided to fight back, and opened fire on them with his rear-facing laser. He missed, but the Lightning was suddenly struck by three missiles and destroyed. The Hunter was hit by a fragment of its comrade, and its right engine started to smoke a little. Tommy managed to pull away. He wanted to try and come around to get the damaged Hunter, but then IT was hit by missiles and destroyed.   
  
"Tommy, you still there?" said John.   
  
"Yeah!"   
  
"Tommy, I want you to try and pick off stragglers that fall outside the main fur ball. Get them as they try to re-engage!"   
  
"Okay, I'm trying that." Tommy turned left, dodging a couple shots as he went, and took up a flank position on the edge of the battle. Almost immediately, another VF-14 spit itself out from the fight, making a nose-low turn to the left. Tommy turned after it.   
  
"I'll get you…!" He worked himself into a good firing position, then locked on and fired six missiles at it. The Hunter tried to dodge, but was a bit too slow and took all six missiles right in its engines. The aircraft lit on fire, then exploded.   
  
"Scratch one!"   
  
John, meanwhile, was having his own successes. He got behind two Lightnings and a Thunderbolt.   
  
"You three jerks are going to take a nice nap in the dirt!!" He fired his missiles at all three. The Lightnings were instantly toasted, but the Thunderbolt was only hit by one missile and stayed airborne. John closed in on it, and lined up a clean tracking shot. He fired in a long burst, nearly sawing the older Thunderbolt model in two.   
  
"That's three more for me! Tommy, how are you doing out there?"   
  
"Uh…I'm just fine…except for the guy crawling up my butt!" Tommy had a Thunderbolt on him. It fired bursts of its gun pod at his own Thunderbolt. Tommy rolled and banked to dodge, but he couldn't shake his tormentor. He tried the rear laser, but the other Thunderbolt simply did barrel rolls and stayed on him.   
  
"Aw…give me a damn break… This is Blue 4. I've got a seriously ugly situation at my six o'clock! I need some help!"   
  
_"This is Red 1. I've got your six, Blue 4."_ Immediately, Red Leader rolled out behind Tommy's pursuer. He managed to get him to turn away from Tommy, then took him out with missiles.   
  
"Your tail is clear, Blue 4."   
  
"Thanks, Red Leader. John, are you still out there?"   
  
"And that's another one! Yeah, I'm still going."   
  
"John, how's it going in there?"   
  
"We're kicking their butts, but something's weird."   
  
"What?"   
  
"These guys haven't tried to attack the base since we went up. They've been concentrating on us! And none of the Invaders I've seen in their group are carrying bombs!"   
  
Tommy blinked. "What does that mean?"   
  
"It means that these guys are NOT the point men! We're missing something, I can feel it!"   
  
Tommy was about to respond, when a Lightning flew out in front of him. Tommy turned after it.   
  
"You little… So what do we do, John?"   
  
John sighed. "We take out as many of these guys as possible for now, and I'm going to ask the base to scan for any other air units behind this one. This is NOT good."   
  
"Roger that." The Lightning he was pursuing was giving him a really tight aspect angle, so Tommy decided to try a quick snapshot. He got into position, and fired as the Lightning crossed his path. The shots hit home, and the Lightning was destroyed.   
  
"That's another." Tommy decided to turn back into the big fight, dodging shots as he came back in.   
  
About three minutes later, the squadrons were contacted by the base.   
  
_"All aircraft, this is Control. We've conducted a long-range sweep by request of Cavalier Squadron's Blue Leader. We've picked up more contacts headed our way…and they aren't little ones. Two flights of VB-6 Koenig Monsters, with escorts, inbound from the west. ETA is five minutes."_   
  
Tommy nearly went white. "…Koenig Monsters…good God, not those things! They'll level the base in one pass!!!!"   
  
John's expression hardened. "Tommy, come with me. This is Blue 1 to all aircraft. I request at least five other aircraft to split off and follow me and Blue 4 to the location of the bombers."   
  
Immediately, both Blue 2 and 3 and several other pilots answered his call. A total of nine were willing and able to go.   
  
Tommy gulped. "John, I've never actually fought the Koenig Monster before…"   
  
"It ain't easy, Tommy. The VB-6 is basically a destroid with variable configuration ability. They've got unreal armor."   
  
"…I'm with you, John. All the way."   
  
"Good. And we're going to need you. If we can't stop those bombers…a lot of innocent people are going to pay the price…!"


	14. Scramble, Part Two

Chapter Fourteen: Scramble, Part Two   
---------------------------------------------------------------------   
The Koenig Monsters closed in on their objective. The flight of nine Thunderbolts was currently all that stood between the bombers and their target, barring a few anti-aircraft guns placed around the base. Certainly not enough to turn back two flights of VB-6s…   
  
"This is Blue 1," said John. "I want a weapons check, all aircraft."   
  
Each pilot in the group gave their reports. Some were still decently armed, while others only had maybe one or two volleys' worth left. Tommy had 8 missiles left. John had 10.   
  
"All right, that'll have to do. Get ready, because their escorts are probably going to try and hit us at range!"   
  
No sooner had John said this than a large swarm of missiles came after the group. They split off and avoided the deadly barrage, then resumed their course.   
  
"Quick! Target as many bombers as you can and fire!" They did so. However, the shots were spread amongst all of the first flight bombers, with only perhaps five missiles going after each one. The slow aircraft made their attempts to dodge, but it almost seemed halfhearted. Each one was struck, but the missiles had trouble penetrating the heavy armor of the Monsters. Fortunately for the Thunderbolts, one Koenig Monster was hit several times in an air intake duct, causing its engine to overheat and explode. The huge aircraft went into an uncontrolled rolling dive, and crashed into the ground.   
  
Tommy sighed. "Well…at least we got one…"   
  
"We'll get the others," said John. "Let's close in on them and pour on the firepower!" They tried to swoop in on the bombers, but their escorts got in the way. Tommy rolled his Thunderbolt to avoid taking shots, and managed to get past the charging fighters. A Lightning came around and followed him to the rear of the formation.   
  
"I don't have time to play with you!" Tommy opened fire with his rear laser, scoring two direct hits and a third glancing hit on the Lightning's airframe. The damaged fighter started to slow down and Tommy was able to get away from it. Had this occurred earlier in the battle, Tommy probably would've come back around and finished it off. Now, there were more important targets out there. Tommy turned towards the closest Koenig Monster and aimed his gun pod at it. He fired in bursts, trying to hit the engines. The bomber made small swerves to avoid the gun attack and suddenly struck back with a vengeance, opening fire with multiple rearward guns.   
  
"WHOA!" Tommy had to break off his attack, as the incoming fire from the tail guns was too intense to ignore. "John, there's no way we can get these things from behind! They've got that arc covered too well!!"   
  
"Try attacking from the side," replied John. "Or the bottom. They don't have guns there!"   
  
"Right." Tommy set himself up for another run at the same bomber as before. This time, he tried to make a deflection shot at the side of the bomber. He rolled his Thunderbolt to match his turn to the forward movement of the target, and pulled his nose ahead of it. He fired again, trying to cut the bomber in half like he had done with the variable fighters he had fought before. The shots hit, but to his dismay, the bomber stayed airborne. Not to be undaunted, Tommy fired again and again. It wasn't until around the sixth burst that the Koenig Monster finally started to belch smoke from its right engine.   
  
"Damn it…John, this is nuts! I've fired and fired at this stupid thing and I'm just now causing real damage!!"   
  
"Just keep it up, man! They aren't invincible!"   
  
Tommy rolled his eyes, and kept firing. He only got in a couple more hits before a missile warning sounded on his display. He broke to avoid the attack, again losing his target.   
  
_"This is Control. We estimate four minutes before the first flight drops its bombs! You have to take them down!"_   
  
John frowned. "Understood, but we're having problems getting through their armor. We'll get them, though."   
  
Tommy eventually managed to re-align himself into yet another attack position, this time from below. He converted to GERWALK mode to give himself more firing time, and he just fired as soon as he thought he had a clean shot. The rounds struck the belly of the damaged bomber, and Tommy could see them bounce off of the armor…until a few shots strayed a little aft of the centerline. Those rounds suddenly went right through the belly of the aircraft. Tommy blinked, then fired again, aiming for that spot. The burst pierced the belly, and the Koenig Monster was suddenly blown to pieces!   
  
"What the…John! John!"   
  
John answered immediately. "What's wrong, Tommy? Are you hit?!"   
  
"No! I got one!"   
  
"Great…how'd you do it?"   
  
"I fired at the bottom, just behind the 3/9 line."   
  
John thought for a second. "The bomb bay…oh. Oh, oh, oh! Ha ha!!!!!"   
  
"What is it?"   
  
John grinned. "They screwed up! The morons screwed up! They must have VB-6As! The A model doesn't have much armor on the bomb bay, because we didn't have systems that could operate bay doors that heavy small enough to fit aboard it back then!"   
  
Tommy smirked. "I like the way this conversation is going, John…!"   
  
John laughed. "All aircraft, go for the bomb bays! Target your weapons just behind the center of the bombers, and you'll vaporize them!" His call was met by a series of acknowledgements.   
  
"Okay, here I go!" John got below a nearby bomber, and immediately locked onto it with missiles. When he was certain most of the missiles would end up striking the bomb bay, he let them fly. His judgments were accurate; most of his shots did strike the bomb bay, immediately detonating the bomber's own payload within it and completely demolishing the aircraft. "Koenig Monster shot down!!"   
  
In the next minute, the subjects of most of the radio traffic were fairly one-sided.   
  
"There's another one!"   
  
"Blue 3 shot down a Monster!"   
  
"Bomber headed for the dirt!"   
  
"Got that ugly sucker!"   
  
Tommy chased down one of the last two bombers, again using GERWALK mode for his attack. He settled into position, but was suddenly fired upon by a VF-14, also in GERWALK configuration, which tried to drive him away with gunfire. Fortunately for Tommy, the rounds impacted on the anti-projectile shield.   
  
"Hey, buzz off! Tommy returned fire with his own gun pod, striking the right leg of the Hunter and forcing it to return to Fighter mode to stay airborne. This effectively removed it as a threat to Tommy, and he turned back to the Monster…only to find himself staring right down the barrels of those damned tail guns again!   
  
"YIKES!" Tommy quickly dived to avoid getting shredded by the guns, and with a quick burst of speed courtesy of the throttle, managed to get back into position. He locked on, and fired his missiles at the sweet spot. The bomber exploded as easily as a fighter would have.   
  
"That's one more for me, guys!"   
  
John smiled. "Great! Blue 3 just took down the other one that was left. How are you holding up?"   
  
"I'm out of missiles, but I've still got my gun pod."   
  
"Okay. Let's get the rest of them, people!"   
  
The second flight was maybe a mile or two behind the first. It didn't have as many bombers as the first, but the most shocking thing was discovered by Tommy almost immediately.   
  
"Hey, where's their escort?"   
  
John blinked. "I don't see any…!"   
  
"Something's not right about this, John."   
  
John was about to say, "Don't worry about it" when the entire flight of Koenig Monsters began to descend. They converted to their GERWALK modes as they reached about 100 feet AGL.   
  
"What the hell are they doing?" said Tommy.   
  
"Looks like they're gonna try and go low-level." John's analysis was immediately rendered invalid when all of the bombers converted into Destroid mode. "Or…not."   
  
"Wait a second…can VB-6s go to Soldier mode with bombs in the bomb bay?" asked Tommy.   
  
"No, they can't. And it's Destroid mode for the Koenig Monster."   
  
"Oh. Those sneaky little…!" Tommy began his descent, but John immediately stopped him.   
  
"Wait! If you think taking those suckers in Bomber mode was tough, you haven't seen anything like their Destroid modes. They're stronger than five Renegades!"   
  
"No kidding? Damn…what do we do?"   
  
"We have to take them out…I've got it. Blue 1 to rest of squadrons. We need some more missile-equipped birds to give us support. We've got Destroid mode VB-6s here."   
  
_"This is Crow Leader. I can send you Avedon and Holloway, but that's all we can spare here."_   
  
_"Dagger Leader here. I'll send you Jackson, he took off late and has a full load."_   
  
"Great," said John. "Anyone else?"   
  
_"Uh…that's all we can spare out here. Sorry!"_   
  
John rolled his eyes. "Guess it'll have to do. Thanks."   
  
It didn't take long for the three extra pilots, two in VF-5000 Star Mirages and one in the same VF-11C Thunderbolt model that Cavalier Squadron used, to reach them. Once they did, John planned out the attack.   
  
"Okay, here's what we do. We all go to Soldier mode and try and gang up on the Monsters before they get within Grenade Crusher range. If that happens, bye-bye base. Normally, it'd be really hard, but our three new arrivals will keep them busy with missiles while we attack them. Let's go!"   
  
They all transformed, and positioned themselves. Tommy and John's Thunderbolts stood next to each other, along with three others. They were right behind one of the advancing Monsters. The thing was huge; not as big as the old MAC-II Monster destroids, but still bigger than any variable vehicle Tommy had seen before. It crashed through the trees of the forest they were all in.   
  
"Now!" shouted John. Missiles rained down on the Koenig Monster, throwing it off guard. The Thunderbolts boosted forward, and ended up nearly surrounding the giant machine.   
  
"Let him have it!!" All of them opened fire with their gun pods at once. Even the armor of the Monster wasn't able to stand up to that kind of concentrated fire. The machine fell over, smoldering.   
  
"One down, three to go," said Tommy.   
  
"Let's move!" said John. They rushed through the forest, using thermal imagers to find their target. Upon reaching it, they pulled the same tactic. Missile attack to divert attention, then a massed ambush. The second Monster went down almost as soon as the first.   
  
"Whew…looks like we might win this after all," said Tommy as he changed clips in his gun pod.   
  
"All the same, let's keep on our toes."   
  
The third VB-6 was ahead of the others by about half a mile. It was almost close enough to the base to use its Grenade Crusher weapon, a type of aircraft-scale artillery gun. The same missile attack came, but this time, things didn't go so well…   
  
"Now!!" They boosted out, but the VB-6 was ready for the ambush and threw an arm out, catching one of the other Thunderbolts and knocking it down. It then aimed its heavy gun pod at another Thunderbolt, and riddled it full of holes. The pilot barely managed to eject.   
  
"Oh, no!" cried Tommy.   
  
"You piece of…!" John opened fire on the bomber, trying to draw its attention to him. The plan worked too well. The VB-6 turned around and charged him. John barely sidestepped before getting leveled by the huge shoulder coming at him.   
  
"John!" Tommy rushed the Koenig Monster, and struck it with the stock of his gun pod. It turned around and faced him. Tommy gulped, his face turning white. "Uh…I was just kidding! Really!" The Monster grabbed his Thunderbolt by the head, blacking out Tommy's visual screens. It then pulled back its arm and literally threw the smaller aircraft to the ground. By some miracle, the head of the Thunderbolt stayed attached.   
  
"Holy…I actually survived that-AAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!" The Koenig Monster loomed over him. Tommy knew what it was going to try to do before it even happened. The gigantic machine raised one of its heavy feet into the air.   
  
_"He's going to crush me in my cockpit! I've gotta do something!!"_ Tommy had only one option. He brought up his gun pod and fired it right at the raised foot. The shots messed up the Monster's balance, and it had to step back several yards, giving Tommy enough time to get back up. As he did, though, the VB-6 recovered and prepared to charge again. Tommy nearly panicked.   
  
"You won't get me…YOU WON'T GET ME!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tommy opened fire on the Monster, pelting it with endless gunfire. He didn't let off of the trigger for an instant. The Monster staggered backwards under the assault, but did not fall. Eventually, Tommy's gun pod stopped firing, having expended every last round in its clip. The Monster stood for a couple of seconds…then finally fell over backwards, defeated.   
  
"I…I did it…" Tommy began to laugh. "I really did it!"   
  
John's VF-11 came up beside Tommy's. "Nice kill, though I have to say I didn't think you were the type to pull that kind of move."   
  
Tommy rolled his eyes. "Kilo Mike Alpha." He changed clips again. "What about the other VB-6?"   
  
"Not a problem."   
  
Tommy blinked. "What?"   
  
"You're not going to believe this. Follow me." John converted to GERWALK mode and ascended above the treetops. Tommy followed suit. They flew a short distance…and Tommy really couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what had happened.   
  
"It fell in a crater!?" Tommy burst out laughing. "After all this, the last one is stopped by a big crater?! That's too good!!"   
  
Sure enough, the last VB-6 was facedown in a giant pit. It was an asteroid impact crater, and deep enough to swallow up even the huge Koenig Monster.   
  
"What about the air battle?" asked Tommy.   
  
"Good question. Blue 1 to squadron leaders. Status on the air battle?"   
  
_"This is Red 1. All enemy aircraft are bugging out at high speed and leaving the combat area. I suppose they knew it was over once the last VB-6 went down. One of the work buildings took a couple of missile, but no other serious damage was dealt to the base."_   
  
John blinked. "Any casualties?"   
  
_"Minor injuries to some workers, and I just got reports that some workers are trapped inside. They're unhurt, but they can't get out. Rescue operations are already underway; it shouldn't take long to get them out. That's all she wrote here. A good fight, gentlemen and ladies."_   
  
_"This is Control. Roger that, mission is complete. Bring it on home."_   
  
Tommy sighed to himself. "Hey, John."   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Are you also getting this feeling that we dodged one hell of a bullet?"   
  
John chuckled. "A little. But we still kicked their tails. That's what's important."   
  
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Still, that close encounter scared the hell out of me…"   
  
"I'll tell you what. I'll talk to the Commander about getting you off duty for a bit, so you can get yourself good and calmed."   
  
"Thanks, man." Tommy smiled. _"I just hope the Hammerheads' next move doesn't come before then…!"_


	15. Reconfiguring Relationships

Chapter Fifteen: Reconfiguring Relationships   
---------------------------------------------------------------------   
_"Help! We're stuck in here!"_   
  
The base personnel had brought in a few of the Zentraedi workers to help rescue some of the trapped people. Kina and Aivea were among them. Under any other circumstance, Kina would've hated getting an off day canceled. But she was only too happy to help out in this case.   
  
"I can hear you! Is anybody hurt?" she said, kneeling to get a better bearing.   
  
_"No! We're fine!"_   
  
Kina smiled. "Great! Watch your heads!" She started removing pieces of rubble from the pile. She was careful not to allow her fingers to go in too deep, lest she accidentally injure someone. It didn't take long for her to remove enough of the rubble to allow the workers inside to escape.   
  
"Hey, thanks!"   
  
Kina beamed. "Don't mention it. I love to help people out."   
  
Aivea walked up to her. "Kina!"   
  
Kina stood back up. "Yes?"   
  
"That's the last, isn't it?"   
  
"Uh…I think so."   
  
_"Actually, not quite!"_ came a voice from behind the two women. It was a U.N. Spacy officer, a lieutenant commander. On his sleeve was the patch of the Corps of Engineers.   
  
"Uh…what's all this about?" said Kina.   
  
The officer muttered something to himself before replying. "Who do you think has to build this place back up, young lady?"   
  
Kina looked at the officer with a confused expression. "Uh…can I get back to you on that?"   
  
The officer sweatdropped. "I'm with the Corps of Engineers. Who is in charge here?!" he said in an exasperated tone.   
  
The foreman came out from his office. "I am."   
  
"Right. I am here to let you know that the Corps of Engineers will be working on the repair of this building, and we would request that you allow some of your workers to assist."   
  
"Oh, really? Hey, Kina, Aivea!"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
The foreman yawned. "You want the job?"   
  
"Sure!"   
  
"Eh, why not. Might be fun."   
  
"There you go! I'm going to take a nap." The officer just sweatdropped.   
  
The next day…   
  
"So, what happened to 'I'm going to get you some time off', huh?" said Tommy.   
  
"I tried to! Before I could say anything, the Commander had already made his decision. Apparently, those idiots in the Corps of Engineers are going to be short-handed the first day, and they're having pilots fill in for the guys who are out. The Commander, in all his infinite wisdom, took the liberty of assigning our sorry hides to help out."   
  
Tommy sighed. "Well, I guess it's a welcome change from all the combat we've been in lately."   
  
"Point taken. Come on, let's hit it."   
  
They arrived at the damaged building an hour later. People were working on the collapsed sections all over the place. If it weren't for the fact that they recognized some of their fellow VF pilots, it would have been hard to believe that the Corps of Engineers was running short-handed. One of the workers approached the two of them.   
  
"And you guys are?"   
  
"I'm Lieutenant J.G. John Peterson, and this is Ensign Thomas Rickenbacker."   
  
The worker held up a clipboard. "Peterson and Rickenbacker. Ah, yes. You're supposed to be working on the…roofs. Just around that way."   
  
They went inside the building, and up a catwalk. The roof in question was busted in several places, with workers trying to reconstruct the ceiling side on the catwalk. Outside the hole, the exterior side was undergoing similar treatment.   
  
"So, what are we supposed to do, grab a tool and just go?" said Tommy.   
  
"I guess." They started, both deciding to join the "tool brigade" that was sending equipment up to the main workforce.   
  
"One bag of concrete mix!"   
  
"Concrete mix, check!"   
  
"Welding torch!"   
  
"Welding torch, check!"   
  
"Look away!"   
  
"Look away, check!"   
  
"No, I mean 'look away'!"   
  
"Huh-GAH!!! Damn, that thing is bright!"   
  
Nearby, Kina and Aivea were putting their superior size to use by trying to hold a large vertical girder straight so that it could be welded in place, and permanently fixed later.   
  
"Remember, don't wiggle it, Kina."   
  
"I won't!" She tried to focus all her attention on her hands, trying to "lock" them in place. However, the more she thought about keeping her hands steady, the more they kept shaking.   
  
"Kina…!"   
  
"Sorry, sorry. I'm trying, really!"   
  
Eventually, the weld was made. Kina was only too happy to let go.   
  
"Man, that was nerve-wracking. Hey, I'm going to see if the roof workers need any help."   
  
"Okay. Watch out for falling concrete slabs."   
  
She approached one of the catwalks.   
  
"Hey, do you guys need any heavy lifting done-what in the…! Hey, Tommy!"   
  
Tommy turned around. "Kina!"   
  
"Hi…no offense, but what are you doing here?"   
  
"Filling in for some engineers that couldn't make it in."   
  
"Oh."   
  
John picked up the next item. "More concrete!"   
  
"More concrete…more concrete?! John, I'm not read-OOF!" John's toss hit Tommy in the upper body, knocking him over.   
  
"Ah! Tommy, are you okay?" She got the bag off of his chest.   
  
Tommy got up. "Smooth move, Lead."   
  
"Sorry. Oh, hello again."   
  
"Hello." said Kina with a smile.   
  
Suddenly, one of the other workers called down. _"Hey, where's the concrete?!"_   
  
Kina handed the heavy bag to the next worker in the line. "Sorry about that…!"   
  
Meanwhile, near the bottom of the catwalk…   
  
_"Is that it?"_   
  
_"Yeah. Leave the torch here. Make sure you don't let the tip touch anything."_   
  
_"Right, right."_ The second man put the torch down on the ground. However, the torch head was right under a scaffold rope, which led up to one of the rather hastily constructed catwalks…   
  
Kina was now acting as a living elevator, helping to get workers inside and out faster than before.   
  
"Okay, going up. Hang on!" She put her hand up to the hole, allowing the workers sitting in her hand to get up onto the roof. She suddenly sniffed the air. "Hey…does anybody else smell that?"   
  
_"He who smelt it dealt it,"_ said one of the workers.   
  
Kina rolled her eyes. "Not that! I smell something…burning!"   
  
Tommy sniffed. "I don't smell anything. Zentraedi senses?"   
  
"Must be, because I swear I can smell it!"   
  
Tommy passed another bag over to the worker next to him. "Probably nothing serious, Kina. I wouldn't worry." He gave her a reassuring smile. However, that attempt at reassurance was severely undermined by the sudden drop that their catwalk took. The scaffold rope had given way, being burnt off by the heat coming from the head of that torch. John and most of the workers managed to grab onto the railings and keep from being thrown off the catwalk, but Tommy wasn't so lucky. The jarring drop literally took the floor out from under him, and he fell, hitting his head against the railing. Then, he slid down the now-diagonal catwalk, unable to stop himself.   
  
"Oh no!" shouted John. Tommy's limp body slid to the end of the catwalk, and was about to fall off.   
  
"No!" Kina rushed to the end, just as Tommy fell off the catwalk. She reached out with her hand, and caught him in mid-air, saving his life.   
  
"Tommy? Tommy, please say something! Please!!"   
  
Tommy slowly opened his eyes. They were glazed and tired-looking, a dead giveaway of a bad concussion.   
  
"Kina…?"   
  
Kina immediately brightened. "Yes, yes! It's me. I saved you."   
  
"Kina…"   
  
"What is it?"   
  
"…I…I love you, Kina…" Tommy gasped, then went limp again. Kina's eyes grew huge.   
  
"Tommy…Tommy? Tommy! Oh, damn…" She spun around. "Someone get an ambulance or something! Quick!!"   
  
She looked at the unconscious human in her hand. _"You've got to make it, Tommy. You've got to…but did you really mean that…?"_   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Tommy slowly opened his eyes. He was in a hospital bed, with John sitting in a chair against the wall of the room he was in.   
  
"Hey, man. You're up…finally."   
  
"Oww…I feel like a train ran over me…how long was I out?"   
  
"Eh…not too long. Just two…"   
  
Tommy sighed. "Two hours?"   
  
John sweatdropped. "No. Two days."   
  
"Two DAYS!? What the hell happened?"   
  
"You don't remember?"   
  
Tommy thought for a second, and then groaned. "After going up on that catwalk, it's mostly a blur. Sorry."   
  
"Some idiot left a hot torch near one of the ropes holding up the catwalk. It broke, and the whole thing dipped. You fell, and hit your head against the railing."   
  
Tommy rubbed his head. "That explains the headache."   
  
"Kina saved your life. You almost fell off, but she caught you."   
  
"Kina." Tommy chuckled. "God bless that girl."   
  
"Yeah. Hey, listen, I've got to go. The doctors say you should be well enough to get back in the air in maybe two more days."   
  
"All right. Take care of yourself, John." They grasped hands, and John left.   
  
The doctors' predictions turned out to be correct; Tommy was out of the hospital two days later. He went down to the rec center to get in some missed workout time. As he was taking a break, he took a look on the other side of the dividing gate out of curiosity. To his surprise, Kina was sitting at one of the tables, finishing a glass of fruit juice. He carefully made his way across the floor.   
  
"Kina!"   
  
She looked down. "Hmm? Tommy! Glad to see you recovered finally! That was a really bad hit, y'know!" She picked him up, and placed him on the table.   
  
"So I heard. I kinda don't remember much."   
  
Kina's expression changed from cheerful to somewhat sheepish. "Uh…do you remember me showing up?"   
  
"…Vaguely. John told me you saved me again. I owe you my life, Kina."   
  
Kina couldn't avoid smiling. "You don't owe me anything. I would do it a hundred times over, in a heartbeat."   
  
"Thanks, Kina."   
  
Kina blushed a little. "Uh…Tommy, I was hoping to talk to you about something. You absolutely sure you remember NOTHING?"   
  
"Nothing from what I would guess is just before the accident. Why?"   
  
"Uh…well, you see, when I caught you, you weren't unconscious the whole time. You said something to me, and then passed out."   
  
Tommy blinked. "I did? What did I say?" His eyes widened a little. "I hope it wasn't anything rude!"   
  
Kina blushed even more. "Uh…it wasn't. In fact, it was the exact opposite…!"   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
Kina took a deep breath, and then managed a small smile. "You…you told me that…well…you loved me."   
  
Tommy didn't react at first, but then Kina's words really hit him. "Oh…uh…well, I-uh, that is…oh, God…"   
  
Kina put a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to corner you like that. You don't have to say anything."   
  
"No, no, it's okay…although I'm not sure exactly what to say…"   
  
Kina sighed. "I guess I wasn't sure if you meant it, or if it was the…y'know…"   
  
"The concussion. Um…well…"   
  
"It was very strange. I mean, the last time I heard those words spoken to me, it was by family."   
  
Tommy sighed. "I'm sorry, Kina."   
  
"No! No, it's all right. Really. Actually…to tell you the truth…I was kinda hoping it was for real…"   
  
Tommy looked at her. "Seriously?"   
  
Kina turned a bright red. "Eh…well…okay, I admit it. It was weird, but…hearing it also made me happy."   
  
"I see…so, what do we do now?"   
  
Kina sighed, and then smiled. "I'll tell you this. I'm not giving up on our friendship…but maybe we could forge closer ties…"   
  
Tommy thought for a second. "Well, I do care about you, Kina. Very much. But I don't want to lose you as a friend."   
  
"You won't. I'm just saying…maybe we could close it up a little?"   
  
Tommy looked down. He then laughed. "I've been knocked off catwalks, shot at by aircraft, nearly smashed into bits, and launched out of missile tubes. Now, I'm about to start an affectionate relationship with a girl 50 times my size. I don't see any problems!"   
  
Kina giggled. "That sense of humor…you're really something."   
  
"Thank you. Now, how the heck to seal the deal…oh, that'll work!" He went over to one of Kina's hands. He put one hand under it, bent down, and kissed the top of her hand, causing Kina to blush a little. "I am for you, madam," he said in his best fake British accent.   
  
Kina beamed. "Goofball!" They both laughed together.


	16. Nothing Ventured

Chapter Sixteen: Nothing Ventured   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
_"Okay, so we're just going to take some recon photos of the place, and then send them back to the boss, right?"_   
  
_"Right. Word is that he's planning one hell of a nasty attack. He needs the recon data to pull it off."_   
  
_"Oh. Hey, we're over the target."_   
  
The small aircraft flew high over the base, the spy camera mounted in its airframe snapping photos. It only took three passes to get all the shots they needed.   
  
_"That should do it. Let's get out of here."_   
  
_"Right."_ The aircraft quickly turned around and left.   
  
_"I'm transmitting the data….okay. Pictures are sent."_   
  
The aircraft flew on, getting clear of the base and city before attempting to leave the atmosphere. As it began its climb, smoke started to come from its right engine.   
  
_"Hey, we've got a fault! We're losing power!"_   
  
_"I can see that…!"_ The aircraft began to fall, going into a nosedive. _"Damn it…I can't get us out of this!"_   
  
_"Let's eject!"_ The man pressed a button. _"It's not working!!"_   
  
_"Let me see that…hey, wait a second…that's the wrong button!"_   
  
_"Oh, for the love of…!"_ The aircraft spun and spun, getting nearer to the ground each second.   
  
Meanwhile, at her house, Kina was asleep.   
  
_"Mmm…chocolate cake…so yummy…"_ Suddenly, a loud crash broke the relative silence. "AAAAAHHHHH!!!" She jumped out of bed, falling face-first on the floor.   
  
"…Oww…that sucked. What in the name of God was that?" said Kina as she got back up. She put on her slippers and grabbed a flashlight from her nightstand. She went downstairs and opened her back door.   
  
_"Let's take a look…"_ She turned on the flashlight. Nothing seemed to be out there. She squinted her eyes a little, but still saw nothing.   
  
"That's very odd…but I've got to go to sleep!" She turned off the flashlight and went back inside. She kicked off her slippers as she got back into her bedroom and flopped back down onto the bed.   
  
"I know! I'll tell someone about it tomorrow." She yawned, then relaxed. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep again.   
  
The next day, Tommy and Kina met again, this time in the park. Tommy was again perched on the back of a Zentraedi-sized park bench with Kina's arm providing the safety.   
  
"Tommy, I wanted to tell you something. Did you hear anything weird last night?"   
  
"No. Why?"   
  
"There was a really loud crash near my house last night. It was too dark to tell exactly where, though."   
  
Tommy rubbed his chin. "I see…assuming it was an aircraft, I doubt it was one of ours."   
  
"What makes you say that?"   
  
"There would've been a rescue operation launched in less than an hour after it happened. Standard operating procedure."   
  
Kina nodded her head. "And you would've already known about it."   
  
"Yeah…"   
  
Kina thought for a second, then gave a sly smile. "Hey, Tommy…"   
  
Tommy cocked an eyebrow. "Uh…yeah…?"   
  
"Let's try to find it! It'll be fun! Who knows, maybe we'll be able to save someone!"   
  
Tommy sweatdropped. "Uh…I don't think that would be a good idea…"   
  
"Aw, c'mon! I wouldn't let anything happen to you! Please…?"   
  
Tommy sighed, and then chuckled. "Okay, okay. Just in case, though, I'm gonna go and get my sidearm."   
  
Kina blinked. "Why would you need a gun?"   
  
"One of the things you learn as a pilot is that there is no such thing as being too prepared," said Tommy with a wink.   
  
A couple of hours later, Tommy arrived at Kina's home. Well, technically, it was NEAR her house, because the nearest place to park was about half a mile away. He covered the rest of the distance on foot. Luckily for him, Kina was waiting for him outside, covered head-to-toe in hiking gear.   
  
"Hey, Tommy!" She knelt down. "I'm all set. What about you?"   
  
Tommy pulled back the right side of his shirt, revealing the grip of a pistol. "I'm good to go."   
  
"I can see that…up we go!" She picked him up, and placed him carefully on her shoulder. "Are you balanced well enough?"   
  
"Uh…I think so…I wouldn't run if I were you, though!"   
  
Kina giggled. "Don't worry. I'm not taking any chances." She started off.   
  
The air outside was hot, but luckily not too dry or moist that day. Tommy sweated a little, but Kina seemed totally unaffected.   
  
"This the direction you said it was in?" asked Tommy.   
  
"Yep. It was right around here. Let's see…" She sniffed the air.   
  
"What are you doing?"   
  
"Well, if it crashed and blew up, I might be able to smell the burnt metal."   
  
"Oh."   
  
Kina sniffed a couple of times, then sighed. "Nothing. The air's fresh and clear."   
  
"Damn. Well, let's just keep going. Maybe we'll run across it."   
  
They traveled together for about 10 more minutes, when Kina suddenly stopped.   
  
"What is it?" asked Tommy.   
  
"I think we're in trouble..."   
  
Tommy blinked. "Why?"   
  
"I just stepped on something crunchy."   
  
"You did? What was it?"   
  
Kina sweatdropped. "I don't know. I'm afraid to look!"   
  
"It's probably nothing. We're probably the only people out here."   
  
Kina gulped. "I hope so…!" She carefully lifted her foot. Under it was bits of broken metal and glass. The extremely thick sole of her hiking boot protected her foot from injury.   
  
"So, what did you step on?"   
  
"Got me. Bunch of scrap metal. Glass, too. Want me to set you down so you can take a look?"   
  
"Sure!" She carefully picked him off her shoulder and set him down on the ground. Tommy picked up the flattened fragments of metal.   
  
"It's got rivets in it…I think this was an airframe, Kina!"   
  
"It was some kind of scout plane."   
  
Tommy blinked. "Huh? How can you be so sure?"   
  
"Eh…because the wreck's down there," said a blushing Kina. She was pointing to a huge ditch that was in front of them. Tommy ran over to the edge. Sure enough, the smoldering remains of an aircraft were lying there.   
  
"Jackpot," said Tommy. The ditch was shaped like a shallow bowl, so Tommy was able to jump over the edge without falling far enough to sustain injury. He then carefully walked down the slope, paying attention to the loose sand. Kina, on the other hand, merely stepped in and covered the distance from the edge to the level center of the ditch in three strides. She carefully set her feet down when she neared Tommy, not wanting to knock him off his feet.   
  
"We found it, we found it!" cried Kina.   
  
Tommy smiled up at her. "Yep. Now, for the next phase of this little adventure."   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
Tommy drew the pistol. "I'm going to go in and see if anybody's in there."   
  
"Uh…are you absolutely sure that gun is necessary?"   
  
Tommy sighed. "Kina, I'm going to tell you something I could get into real trouble for telling you. Please, please, PLEASE promise me you won't share this."   
  
Kina nodded her head. "I swear it. Cross my heart."   
  
"It goes back to the guys who attacked the base, and trashed up your workplace. They're a group of pirates called the Hammerheads. Very nasty people. They prefer to cause mayhem, but they are known to pull some sneaky tricks every now and again."   
  
Kina mused for a second, and then brightened. "Oh, I get it. You're afraid that this plane might belong to them!"   
  
"Exactly. I'm going to check now. I'll holler if I get into trouble, okay?"   
  
Kina smiled, and gave him a thumbs up. "You can count on me!" She walked back a bit, and sat down. Tommy cocked the pistol, and started in. His hands were shaking somewhat, as he had no idea what he was going to find in the wreckage.   
  
"…Hey, Tommy!"   
  
Tommy turned back around. "Yes?"   
  
"You look like you need a good luck charm, so…" She blushed, and then blew him a kiss.   
  
"…Thanks, Kina." Tommy chuckled, then set his mind back to the task at hand.   
  
Meanwhile, a few hundred yards away…   
  
_"Who the HELL thought of putting the eject button there, of all the stinking places?!"_   
  
_"Will you calm down! Look over there!"_   
  
_"Whoa…what the hell is that Zentraedi chick doing over there?"_   
  
_"I don't know…she isn't moving."_   
  
_"We've got to do something! The photo data is still in there. We can't let it be captured!!"_   
  
_"…The heavies?"_   
  
_"…The heavies."_   
  
In the wrecked aircraft, Tommy was checking each piece of broken fuselage one-by-one, making sure to present his weapon before his person. He came across a strange box in one of the pieces.   
  
_"What in the…'Do Not Open', huh? Must be the black box."_ He picked it up.   
  
Kina, meanwhile, was tapping her feet and twiddling her thumbs. She looked up into the sky.   
  
_"It's so nice out here…I wonder what's taking Tommy, though…"_   
  
"FREEZE!" came a voice from beside her. She looked over. Two humans, both wearing leather jackets for some inexplicable reason, were standing there. One had a pistol pointed at her.   
  
"Um…hi…why are you guys wearing leather jackets on a hot day, and why are you pointing a gun at me?"   
  
"Uh…silence! Nobody disrespects the uniform of the Hammerheads! Keep still!"   
  
Kina gave them a confused look, then suddenly giggled. "Wait a second…you guys are serious, aren't you?" She laughed. Although she felt a little guilty, she decided to have a bit of fun with them, and rose to her full height. "Now, boys, did you really think you could scare me with handguns?" she asked with a condescending smile.   
  
The taller man sighed, and dropped his gun. "You're right. What were we thinking? We weren't supposed to point the pistols at you! We were supposed to use THESE!!!!!" They each leveled a grenade launcher at Kina. She gulped and stepped back.   
  
"Uh…that certainly changes things…please don't shoot!!"   
  
Tommy heard the conversation, and ran back to the edge of the wreckage, making sure that he wasn't seen. He slowly stuck his head out from behind a piece of fuselage.   
  
_"God, how could I be so stupid!? This is bad…if I shoot one, the other could still shoot Kina! I've got to do something…"_   
  
Tommy looked around, and then sighed. "Wait!!" he shouted.   
  
The two Hammerheads turned in the direction of Tommy's voice.   
  
"Who's out there?!"   
  
Tommy took a deep breath. "Nobody important! What are you guys after?!"   
  
"…We want the data box! Do you have it?!"   
  
Tommy looked at the box in his hand. "Yeah!"   
  
"In that case, if you don't give it up, we kill the girl!!"   
  
Tommy gulped. "Wait! Don't hurt her! I'll give you the box!"   
  
"Deal!"   
  
Tommy looked around. He then saw another container, about the same size and color as the box he held. He picked it up.   
  
"I'm going to toss it out to you!"   
  
"…All right. No funny stuff, though!"   
  
Tommy took the other container, and tossed it away from his shelter, making sure not to let it go to the side too much. He then set down the real data box and rushed to the other side of the fuselage piece.   
  
"I'm going to go get it. Keep the girl covered."   
  
"Gotcha."   
  
The leader ran over to the box. He looked at it on the ground.   
  
_"C'mon…pick it up, pick it up..!"_ thought Tommy. The leader set his own grenade launcher down, and examined it with both hands. Tommy didn't waste his chance.   
  
"NOW!" He popped out from cover and fired not at the leader, but the man still pointing a launcher at Kina. However, instead of aiming for the man himself, he went for the launcher. The shots forced him to drop his now-broken weapon. The leader immediately dropped his box and tried to pick up his own launcher, but Tommy quickly put his sights on him.   
  
"Don't even breathe!"   
  
The leader growled. "Okay, fine, I give up…RUN, MAN!!!" The other guy took off running.   
  
"Hey, it's rude to leave a party without saying good-bye!" said Kina. She stooped and easily snatched him up.   
  
"Huh? Whoa…whoa!!!!! Oh, God!"   
  
Kina smiled. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. Hey, Tommy, I got mine!"   
  
"Great!"   
  
"Tommy…I really enjoyed myself today. Thanks for coming down here."   
  
The leader groaned. "Oh, for the love of…!"   
  
"Hey, shut your face, ya jerk!" said Tommy. "You two are gonna be prisoners of the U.N. Spacy in a short while, so I'd just keep quiet."   
  
"So, how do we…y'know, restrain these guys?"   
  
Tommy thought for a second, then grinned. "Got any string?"


	17. The Calm Before The Storm

Chapter Seventeen: The Calm Before The Storm   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------   
"So, what are they doing with those guys now?" asked John and he and Tommy got suited for their next flight.   
  
"Well, after Kina and I brought them in, the MPs were all over them. They're probably just interrogating them right now."   
  
John raised his eyebrows. "Torture?"   
  
"I hope not. Never liked watching it done to anyone."   
  
In the interrogation room…   
  
_"Oh, God…you guys are crazy! No wonder the boss wants you guys dead! You're all nuts!!"_   
  
The officer sighed. _"Well, if you would cooperate, we could go easier on you!"_   
  
_"…No deal! We're not talking!!"_   
  
_"…I hate this part of the job…okay, Chief. Give 'em the hose!"_   
  
An MP, holding a long water hose, opened its nozzle. The two Hammerheads were doused by the resulting stream of water.   
  
_"AAAHHH!!! Jesus, that's cold! Stop it! Stop it!!"_   
  
The interrogating officer immediately made a "cut" motion with his hand, and the MP cut the stream off.   
  
_"Okay…okay…I can't take it anymore! I'll talk, I'll talk!!!"_   
  
_"Yeah, this is too much! We give!!"_   
  
The officer sighed. _"Thank God. Get that hose out of here. Now, what were you doing out there? From the beginning, please…"_   
  
Back in the air, Tommy, John, and the other Blues were going through their first of the patrol runs ordered by base staff after the massed attack.   
  
"Yo, Tommy!"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Check out your right side. You see that?"   
  
Tommy looked outside. There was a large amount of wreckage strewn about the landscape.   
  
"Whew…that brings back memories," said Tommy. "Bad memories."   
  
"Yeah. I sure hope we don't have to do that again…"   
  
They flew on, radars scanning away. Tommy sighed to himself and looked straight up into the sky. He thought back to just after he and Kina had turned in the two Hammerhead soldiers. Before parting again, they had spoken for a couple of minutes…   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
"I guess that takes care of those guys," she had said with a small laugh. "What'll happen to them?"   
  
"Depends. Hopefully, they won't do anything dumb and end up getting the hose…"   
  
Kina cocked an eyebrow. "The hose?"   
  
"It's a long story…" Tommy glanced down at the platform he was standing on. When his eyes returned to Kina's level, he saw something that startled him greatly. Kina had lowered her head and tossed back her hair. Now, seeing a normal-sized woman do that isn't usually much to speak of unless she has long hair or is very attractive. At Kina's size and at the very close distance Tommy was from here, however, it was an entirely different story. It's a very intimidating sight to see about 30 feet of shiny emerald strands fly up and backwards all of a sudden. In fact, Tommy actually took several steps backwards without realizing it.   
  
Kina then turned to look at him. "Hey, are you all right? You look like you just saw a ghost!"   
  
"Huh? Oh, uh…yeah, I'm fine. W-why?"   
  
"Your hands are shaking," she said easily.   
  
Tommy turned red with embarrassment. "Oh…don't worry, it's…nothing." He managed to get a smile out.   
  
Kina was confused but decided to let it alone. "Okay. Y'know, that was a pretty cool trick back there, the way you saved me. You're a good shot!"   
  
Tommy chuckled. "Thanks. Another thing you learn as a pilot is to think on your toes…though there was another factor, I must admit." He winked at her.   
  
"Oh? Oh. I see." She giggled. "That's really sweet. What's that Latin saying, _Amor vincit omnia_?"   
  
Tommy smiled. "'Love conquers all'. I think that phrase fits quite nicely."   
  
Kina suddenly blushed a little, and then took one of her index fingers, pressed it to her lips, and then very gently touched Tommy's cheek with the tip.   
  
"I…I love you, Tommy."   
  
Tommy sighed, and then smiled. "I love you, Kina."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
_"We'll always have each other, Kina. Always."_   
  
The beeping of Tommy's comm system broke his train of thought.   
  
"Hey, Tommy! Are you there or not?"   
  
"Oops! Sorry, John. What is it?"   
  
"We're getting a contact dead ahead of us, about 80 miles away. Aerial."   
  
Tommy looked at his radar screen. "Confirmed. One unknown right on the nose, 80 miles distance."   
  
John changed frequencies. "Blue 1 to Control. We've picked up a bogey at 80 miles. Request permission to close in and ID."   
  
_"…Permission granted. If contact is found to be of Hammerhead origin, you have permission to disable if possible, destroy if necessary."_   
  
"Roger that. Okay, boys, let's go!" They sped up, covering most of the 80-mile distance between them within a minute.   
  
"I've got a tally," said John. "Sending image to combat computer for ID check." The computer ran through its databases for a couple of seconds, and then gave him a result.   
  
"What's the verdict, Lead?" said Blue 3.   
  
"…Contact identified as a D-880 drone aircraft. And wouldn't you know it? It's got 'Head markings! The D-880 is a weapons-capable model, so heads up!"   
  
Tommy gulped. "Don't those things carry lots of missiles?"   
  
"Hey, at least it's not an X-9 Ghost. Relax!" They cut back on their throttles, making a steady approach on the drone.   
  
"Hey…does anyone else have this field of interference at about 60 miles from us?" said Blue 2.   
  
"Confirmed," said Blue 3.   
  
"Me too," said Tommy.   
  
"That's odd…but we can check it out later. We've got to get this drone!"   
  
As they closed to within one mile, it suddenly broke away from the flight.   
  
"Damn! The glitch is making a run for it!!" cried Blue 2.   
  
"Stop that sucker!" replied John as he turned after it. The others quickly followed. John selected his gun pod. He aimed for one of the engines on the drone, and squeezed off a few shots. They hit, knocking the drone silly and sending it reeling.   
  
"Nice shot, Lead!" cried Tommy.   
  
"Thanks. Now, let's see if we can get this thing back to base so the tech-heads can find out where it's getting its signals from." Suddenly, however, all four Thunderbolts picked up a new signal.   
  
"What the hell is that?" said Blue 2.   
  
"Got me," said Tommy.   
  
"I think it's…yes, it's coming from the drone!" Suddenly, their radar screens were dotted with contacts appearing out of nowhere.   
  
"Oh, my God…" said Tommy. "This is NOT good…!"   
  
John sighed. "Don't worry, man. This is just like the last time we faced drones. Don't sweat it!"   
  
"…Okay. I can do this."   
  
"How did they sneak up on us?" asked Blue 3.   
  
"The interference field we picked up must've been ECM units mounted on the drones by the 'Heads. Let's take them out!"   
  
Each Thunderbolt got locks on two drones with their high-maneuverability medium-range missiles. They immediately took the shots. Being fixed-form drones, the D-880s could only try to dodge the incoming attacks. It didn't work; all eight targeted drones were hit and destroyed.   
  
"That's eight down and…oh, come ON…twenty-two to go…!" said John.   
  
The drones all locked onto the four Thunderbolts. Tommy nearly had a heart attack.   
  
"You're kidding me! Please say you're kidding me…!!" The drones launched their missiles. "They're not kidding!!!!!!" Blue Flight immediately split up, barely managing to avoid getting blown to bits by the more than forty missiles sent their way.   
  
"This is crazy!" cried Blue 3. "They only launched a couple of missiles each; they could do that all day!!"   
  
"Don't let those machines scare you. Like I said before, they aren't X-9s! 880s can dish it out but they can't take it…you read me?"   
  
Tommy sweatdropped as he racked his jet around. "Um…not exactly."   
  
John groaned. "They stink at avoiding missiles! Lock on and blow them to hell!!"   
  
The group of drones had split up into several teams, trying to divide the Thunderbolts and destroy them one-by-one. Tommy had managed to get about six chasing him.   
  
"Buzz off!" Tommy fired on them with his rear laser. They split up, allowing Tommy to turn back around and get behind two of them. He locked on with his short-range missiles, and fired. The shots hit their targets so easily that it startled Tommy a little. He didn't have much time to be startled, because more drones had taken up positions on his tail.   
  
John, meanwhile, was having somewhat better success. He had gotten a perfect firing position on three drones, and fired missiles at all of them. They went down in less than two seconds.   
  
"That's three! How are you guys doing?"   
  
"Uh…I could use some assistance!" said Tommy. "I can't get these guys off me…aw, man! They're about to light my butt up! Do something!"   
  
"I'm on my way!" John quickly caught up to Tommy. Four drones were hunting him down, and a fifth settled into position just as John got there. Tommy was firing shots from his rear laser, but this time the drones wouldn't scatter. John actually had to do a barrel roll to avoid getting hit by the laser fire.   
  
"Tommy, go cold on your tail laser! I can't get into a good position!"   
  
"Roger that, going cold." Tommy stopped firing, and John settled into a good missile position.   
  
"You know the drill, man. When I say to, break hard."   
  
"Right, but hurry! They've got missile locks!"   
  
John waited for all of his targeting reticles to settle before giving Tommy the word. "NOW!" Tommy turned hard to the left as John fired, destroying all five drones.   
  
"Damn, I'm out of missiles. Tommy, are you okay?"   
  
"Yeah, but you're not! You've got bandits on your six, man!!"   
  
John turned around. Sure enough, more drones had gotten behind him. He was about to pull away, but they managed to lock on and send some missiles his way.   
  
"I don't think so!!" John converted to Soldier mode, spun around, and shot down all of the incoming missiles. He then fired on the drones themselves, managing to hit one before they scattered. "You don't mess with me! Tommy, how's your missile status?"   
  
"I've got four left. That's it."   
  
John sighed. "Don't waste 'em!"   
  
Tommy was about to respond, when he suddenly got a missile warning. He quickly made a hard turn to dodge, but a couple of missiles stayed on him. He quickly readied his rear laser, and barely managed to shoot them down before getting hit. Tommy then transformed to GERWALK mode and spun around. Two drones were on him and about to fire again. He got a lock, and fired his remaining missiles at them, taking both down.   
  
John sighed. "Man, I told you not to waste 'em!"   
  
"Sorry!" Tommy transformed to Soldier mode and took potshots at another drone that was approaching him. It tried to dodge, but Tommy clipped the side of it and it went spinning into another drone, destroying both of them. Changing his Thunderbolt back to Fighter mode, he accelerated and turned back towards his wingmen.   
  
The battle continued. At around eight drones remaining, all four Blue aircraft were out of missiles and were forced to rely on their guns.   
  
"Come on, people! We can beat these guys!" John got behind a drone, and maneuvered into a clean tracking position. It didn't take long for him to make the kill. He then switched to Soldier mode to change clips. As he did, a drone rushed him. It didn't get far, though, as a quick burst of fire from Blue 3 stopped the attack.   
  
"That's another, Lead!"   
  
"Right. Six to go!" Suddenly, all the remaining drones began to emit signals, and then all exploded at once, each tearing itself apart in a violent explosion.   
  
Tommy stared. "What the hell…they just self-destructed…!"   
  
John sighed. "Must've been to keep us from capturing anything. We're getting close to Bingo fuel, so let's head on back. Good flying out there today, boys."   
  
Tommy relaxed his shoulders and took a deep breath. _"This has to be part of something bigger…it just HAS to be."_   
  
Meanwhile, back at the interrogation room at the base…   
  
_"An attack?! When? With what?"_   
  
_"…We don't have that information. All we know is that our leader is planning a very nasty hit on this base soon. We're telling the truth!"_   
  
The officer sighed. _"…All right. Take them back to the cell. We're finished here."_ The MPs guarding the door came in, and escorted the Hammerheads out. The officer stood in the doorway as they left.   
  
_"An attack…and it's coming soon… This isn't going to be simple…!"_


	18. Big Girl, Big Kidnapping

Chapter Eighteen: Big Girl, Big Kidnapping  
-----------------------------------------------------------------   
"Hmm…what about this one?"   
  
Kina and Aivea were out shopping together for clothes. Kina was standing in front of a large mirror, holding a red blouse in front of herself.   
  
"Hmm…I don't think so. Red isn't really your color."   
  
Kina sighed. "Yeah, I can kinda see what you mean. What about this one?" She now held up a bright blue blouse. "I think it matches my eyes."   
  
"That's a lot better."   
  
Kina looked back and smiled at her friend. "I guess that settles that, then." She turned back to the mirror and looked herself up and down. She had the typical Zentraedi female's build: powerful and defined but still fairly slender. "Thanks for coming with me, Aivea."   
  
"No problem." Aivea smirked a little. "So, is it really true?"   
  
Kina turned around. "Is what true?"   
  
"That you and that guy are…a little more than friends now."   
  
Kina sweatdropped. "Uh…well, um…" She giggled nervously.   
  
"Relax, relax, I'm not making fun of you. To tell you the truth, I think it's kinda cute!" Aivea laughed.   
  
Kina sighed, then smiled. "I love him, Aivea. I really do. I know you probably think I'm nuts, but…"   
  
Aivea chuckled, then walked up and put her hand on Kina's shoulder. "Wrong. I'm happy for you. I mean it."   
  
Kina looked back at Aivea, and beamed. "Thanks…!"   
  
That night, somewhere near the base…   
  
_"How much longer until we go?"_   
  
_"…We're to wait here for one more day. Then, it's showtime."_   
  
_"Are the packages ready?"_   
  
_"Oh, yeah. All set for action. All we have to do now is wait…"_   
  
The next morning, Tommy and John were in the briefing room, but not for a mission briefing. This had to do with some interesting intelligence acquired recently…   
  
"Good morning, gentlemen. Interrogation of the captured soldiers has revealed to us that an attack is being planned against this base, but we don't know when or how it will be carried out. All we know is that it is going to be a very bad one. However, there is good news amongst the bad. We sent up a recon drone with a short-range fold booster and sent it around the Sweetwater system, trying to find a base of operations. The results were inconclusive, save for one photo. This is it."   
  
The Commander pressed a button on the table, and an image of a heavily cratered rock face appeared. In the center was an eerie sight; a strange structure was standing in the middle of the image, looking almost partially hewn into the rock.   
  
"This, people, was taken somewhere in the asteroid belt between the sixth and seventh planets in the system. We were about to get an exact position, but the drone was destroyed seconds after this photo was taken."   
  
Tommy glared at the image. _"So that's it. Hammerhead Central…"_   
  
"We are now attempting to find out exactly where in the belt this place is. A recon flight will be dispatched within the hour. Be on your guard, pilots. Our squadron may be called on to provide assistance to these recon efforts at any time. That is all. Dismissed."   
  
Outside the briefing room, John and Tommy were walking down the hall together. Tommy wore a look of focused anger on his face.   
  
"Something wrong, man?" asked John.   
  
"Hmm? Nothing, nothing. I guess seeing the Hammerhead base for myself struck a nerve, that's all."   
  
John sighed. "I know what you mean. Don't worry; you're not the only one who'd like to put a few missiles into it. But we have to find the thing first."   
  
"What about all that stuff about an attack on the base? I mean, after that big bombing run went in the toilet, you'd think they'd be smarter than that."   
  
"Don't forget, Tommy, there's more than one way to hit a base. There's an overt way, and there's a…"   
  
Tommy gulped. "A COVERT way! You really think they'd make some kind of commando raid?"   
  
"Who knows? The 'Heads thrive on being spontaneous. We'd do well just to keep on our toes."   
  
Tommy frowned. "Yeah. I still don't like the thought of it, though…"   
  
Meanwhile, at the loading area, Kina was busy pushing a scaled-up hand truck loaded with giant crates. As usual, she was the picture of slightly ditzy contentment and her mind was focused on something entirely different.   
  
_"This is going to work out. I just know it will. We're two people who have feelings for each other, and that's all that really matters-"_ Her train of thought was interrupted by a badly placed footstep that fell on a very slippery section of floor. She stumbled and ended up pushing the hand truck forward, losing her grip on the handles in the process.   
  
"Oh, no! Look out! Hand truck on the loose! Run!!" The truck careened past several workers, eventually crashing into the wall and dropping every crate being carried on it. Kina gulped. "…I'm sorry!!"   
  
A few minutes later, in the foreman's office…   
  
"Kina, you're killing me here! You're killing me! What happened to last week, when you didn't drop a single thing? What have I done to deserve this?!"   
  
Kina's eyes began to well up. "But…it was an accident!"   
  
The foreman sighed. "…I know, I know, and that's why I'm not firing you. You're going to stay after hours tonight…for janitor duty."   
  
"Janitor…duty?" Kina began to cry wavy tear rivers. "But I hate janitor duty! That's really mean!!" She broke into a fit of loud sobbing.   
  
_"Oh, why did I even take this job…?"_   
  
As the sky turned from blue to black, several shapes began to move in the darkness. They were all headed in the same direction, and they moved swiftly and purposefully.   
  
_"Check the timers. Are they working?"_   
  
_"Yeah. All good."_   
  
_"Okay. You remember the placement points, right?"_   
  
_"Yes. All memorized. Are you absolutely sure there's nobody in there to worry about, besides the night watch?"_   
  
_"Yes, I'm sure, I'm sure. Who would be working at this hour?"_   
  
As they approached their target, Kina was hard at work in the loading area, mop in hand and a dejected look on her face.   
  
_"Ooh…this is so boring! I can't WAIT to get out of here…!"_ She continued mopping the floor, pouting. _"At least it can't get any worse."_   
  
In another section of the loading area, two human men were sneaking around. Their faces were obscured by the shadows, but the leather jackets they wore were not. They carried several small boxes.   
  
_"All right, let's hurry up and set the charges. We don't want the guys in the hangars to beat us to the punch, do we?"_   
  
_"Over my dead body. Give me the noisemakers."_ The other man handed him a box. He opened the first one up, pulling out a bomb. He placed it next to a support pillar, and set it. The bomb made some slight beeping noises as he entered in the arming codes, but went silent once it was armed.   
  
_"It's done. Let's set the other ones and get the hell out of here."_   
  
Kina looked up from her mopping with a confused look on her face.   
  
_"I could've sworn I heard something beeping…maybe I should check it out."_ She put the mop into the bucket and walked off in the direction of the sound. _"Who would be here, though?"_   
  
Meanwhile, the men were setting yet another bomb. Again, it beeped as it was set, then went into its silent wait.   
  
_"That's number two. We've only got two more to go."_   
  
_"Right. C'mon."_   
  
They hurried to their next setting point. It didn't take very long.   
  
"Okay. Give me the bomb." There was no response from his comrade. "What, are you deaf? I said give me the bomb!" Still no response. He turned around, and found his friend sweating bullets and staring upwards, his whole body frozen in place.   
  
"Oh…God…!"   
  
The other guy cocked an eyebrow. He followed his friend's gaze…and immediately sweatdropped. Kina was standing there, just looking at them with a confused look on her face.   
  
"Uh…hi there…what are you doing here this late?"   
  
The two men sweated even more.   
  
"I can't move, man…I can't move!"   
  
His partner gulped. "Um…we're just, uh…we got lost! Yeah, that's it! We got lost, and…"   
  
Kina looked at him. "Hey, wait a second…where have I seen jackets like that before…?" She thought for a second, and then brightened. "Oh, right, the Hammerheads…the Hammerheads?!" She gasped. "Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!"   
  
They both gulped. "We've been found out…!" said the bomb-setter.   
  
His partner, having lost all attempts to keep his dignity, fell to his knees. "Don't hurt us! Please!"   
  
Kina felt sorry for him, although she couldn't help but find the sudden breakdown slightly amusing. "There, there. Of course I won't hurt you. But I'm gonna have to turn you guys in to the night watch."   
  
The other Hammerhead finally regained his composure. "Sorry, can't allow that. Later!" He grabbed his associate by the arm and they both took off running.   
  
"Hey, wait! Come back!" Kina started after them, but then realized the direction in which they were running. "Oh, no…wait! Don't run that way! I just mopped the floor there; it's soaking wet!!"   
  
The leader chuckled to himself. "Uh-huh!" he called back over his shoulder. "Like we would fall for such an obvious-AAAHHH!!!" Both men slipped and slid across the wet floor. "AAAHHHH…!" They slid right into the wall, knocking both men silly.   
  
Kina heard the impact. "Oh, God! Are you guys okay?!" She started to run over, but then stopped herself, not wanting to end up the same as the two humans. Carefully, she walked over the wet spots, occasionally losing her balance for a second.   
  
The Hammerheads slowly got back up. The leader shook the cobwebs out of his head.   
  
"I never saw this on the brochure…"   
  
"She's coming, let's go!" They headed outside and sprinted away as fast as they could. Kina, once she got past the wet floor, followed them.   
  
"Stop! You know you can't outrun me, so why bother?" She kept after them.   
  
The leader pulled out a walkie-talkie from his pocket.   
  
"This is Mitchell. We've got a very TALL problem chasing after us! We need someone to take care of it!"   
  
_"Understood."_   
  
As Kina closed in on them, a Renegade powered armor suddenly jumped up from a ditch, right in the path of the fleeing men. Kina stopped immediately.   
  
"Uh-oh…!" The Renegade opened up its chest-mounted missile launcher. Kina's face lost all its color. "…Help!" she squeaked. The armor launched three missiles at her. She screamed and instinctively put her arms in front of her face. However, when the missiles hit home, a huge cloud of gas was released from each one in place of the lethal explosion she was expected. She breathed in a large amount of it. Immediately, her eyelids began to feel heavy. Knockout gas!   
  
"Huh? Oh…ooh…I suddenly don't feel very peppy…" She yawned. "I think I'll just take a nice little nap right here. Night-night!" She began to fall forward, but the Renegade armor ran up and caught her. She was totally out.   
  
_"That's takes care of that. What do we do with her?"_   
  
_"…We can't leave her here. Once she wakes up, she'll be able to tell them all about what happened. There's no choice, we have to bring her back with us…"_


	19. Bomb Disposal Blues

Chapter Nineteen: Bomb Disposal Blues   
---------------------------------------------------------------   
The next day began fairly normally for Tommy. After getting to the base and meeting up with John, they headed over to the headquarter building. As they passed by a few hangars, Tommy stopped.   
  
"John, something's not right."   
  
John gave him a weird look. "What do you mean?"   
  
"I can't put my finger on it…but I'm getting this weird feeling."   
  
John chuckled. "Told you not to have too big of a breakfast."   
  
"Not that! I mean it; I'm getting bad vibes from here."   
  
"You're SERIOUS about this," said John with a sigh. "I don't know what to say, then."   
  
Tommy offered John a small smile. "It's probably nothing, but still…I don't like it."   
  
The two men walked on. Little did they know that, hidden in a dark corner of the very hangar they had stopped by, something very deadly was ticking away…   
  
_"The bombs are all set now?"_   
  
_"Yes, sir. Very shortly, when the base is at its most staffed, they will go off all at once."_   
  
_"Excellent. Anything else?"_   
  
_"Um…actually, yes. Sir, two of our operatives had a run-in with a female Zentraedi. Full-sized. She caught them setting their bombs and tried to turn them in, but apparently they ran and she ended up right in front of our forward station. One of the Renegades had to knock her out. They couldn't leave her to wake up and spill about the bombs, so they took her with them."_   
  
_"A prisoner? Wasn't part of the plan, but I suppose no harm will come of it. Tell them to bring her here."_   
  
_"At once, sir."_   
  
Back on Sweetwater, Tommy and John were eating lunch in the mess hall.   
  
"So, Tommy," began John, "I understand you and that girl have finally hit it off."   
  
Tommy nearly choked on his mouthful of food. "Huh? Well…yeah, in a way…"   
  
"What do you mean by that?"   
  
"I mean…we're more than friends now."   
  
John laughed. "Okay, now the truth." Tommy just glared at him. "…You MEAN it?"   
  
"Yes, I mean it."   
  
John sweatdropped. "Are you nuts?!" he said in a fierce whisper.   
  
"Maybe I am, but the fact remains. I love her."   
  
John sighed. "…I guess it's not my place to question your choice of significant other. But still, this makes Romeo and Juliet look like a pretty darn likely couple. Be careful, Tommy."   
  
"Always. I'm not blind to the fact that the size difference is going to pose problems."   
  
"Good."   
  
"But I also refuse to believe we can't find some way around most of them."   
  
John smiled. "Idealist."   
  
Tommy returned the smile. "Pragmatist." Both of them laughed. "It's going to be very interesting, I'll tell you that…though you could argue it already is."   
  
"You've got a point there. Hey, what's going on?" John was referring to a sudden commotion in the back of the mess room. Both men stood up and walked over to the area. Officers and NCOs alike were milling around, trying to get a look at what was happening.   
  
"What the hell's going on?" asked John.   
  
"Somebody found a weird device in the back. Might be a bomb."   
  
"A bomb?" cried Tommy. "The 'Heads…God, I hate those guys!"   
  
"That must be the attack those prisoners mentioned." said John.   
  
"Yep, it's a bomb!" shouted someone up front. "Somebody call EOD!"   
  
"Right!" replied another officer. Within several minutes, a group of men in bomb disposal gear arrived in the mess hall, and began ushering the regulars away.   
  
"Please get back. We're on it. This is now a restricted area."   
  
John rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's go. Didn't even get to finish lunch…!"   
  
"Hang on a second, John. Why would there be a bomb in the mess hall. Sure, there's a lot of people that go through there, but there are more vital places. Unless…" They looked at each other.   
  
"…There are more bombs," finished John. "We've gotta get to the Commander!"   
  
In a few minutes, they were in Ironsides' office.   
  
"…I heard about the bomb in the mess. And you're a little late with the 'more bombs' theory; two more have just been found in two separate hangars."   
  
"Sir, with respect, we have to do something," said John. "We can't just sit on our laurels."   
  
"I know that, Lieutenant. If you wish to help, find more bombs!"   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
They both saluted, and walked out of the office.   
  
"That went better than I thought," said John. "Let's go!"   
  
"Wait. Where would we find them?" said Tommy, with a hint of panic.   
  
"Relax, I took an explosives/demolitions course at the Academy. It was for USING them, but that should still help. We need to look around key structural points. Blowing those up would do the most damage."   
  
"Okay, how do we find those?"   
  
"Just stick with me. I'll show you. But first, we'd better go grab some handheld radios."   
  
After getting their equipment, Tommy and John headed down to the hangars.   
  
"Now, we've got to be very quick about this, Tommy."   
  
"Why?"   
  
John gave him a sly grin. "We don't know how long these things are set for. They could blow up at any time…"   
  
Tommy glared at him. "Thanks. Thanks for building my confidence!" John just laughed as they entered a hangar. Inside was a VF-5000 Star Mirage, in Crow Squadron colors.   
  
"Okay, we're here. We'll check in the corners, by the door, and…hmm…could you take a peek under that plane?"   
  
Tommy went over to the Star Mirage. It was a fine variable fighter, but it was heavily optimized for atmospheric combat. The thing was terrible in space battles. Tommy never did like specialization. He got on his knees and looked under the fighter.   
  
"Nothing here-holy…!" Just behind a wheel, there was a black box-like object that was DEFINITELY not supposed to be there. "I think I found the bomb, John…"   
  
"Great!" He turned on his radio. "This is Lieutenant J.G. Peterson. Send EOD teams to Hangar…D-7 on the double. There's a bomb under a Crow Star Mirage in here."   
  
_"…Roger. Teams are on the way."_   
  
John sighed. "That's three found out of God knows how many. Let's hurry."   
  
They headed over to the next hangar. On an impulse, Tommy looked towards the loading area.   
  
"Hey, John!"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"I just thought of something! What about the loading area? There are all kinds of important goods in there that the 'Heads would want to blow into next week!"   
  
"Point taken. But we need our jets even more! Let's clear out our hangars first!"   
  
They headed into the E block hangars, where the Cavalier Thunderbolts were chocked and stationed. Since the E blocks were designed to hold two aircraft at a time, it took them longer to find the bombs. At one point, they had scoured all over the hangar they were in and had pretty much decided it was clear of any bombs. However, when they went to leave, Tommy tripped over a wire strung across the floor…and found the bomb under a small panel in the floor that hadn't been shut all the way.   
  
"Nice job, Tommy!" said John as he turned on his radio. "One more, in E-5. Are you okay, Tommy?"   
  
"Yeah. The nice, rock-hard floor broke my fall."   
  
After they got finished in the hangar section, they traveled over to the loading area. Most of the regular workers in there, including the Zentraedi, were outside. The rest were helping in the bomb search. John and Tommy even had to present I.D. passes to a pair of MPs stationed at the entrance. Before he went in, Tommy noticed something odd right away.   
  
_"That's funny, I don't see Kina anywhere…she must be in with the workers helping with finding the bombs."_   
  
They went in. All over the place, men in ED suits and regulars were looking all over the place trying to find bombs. They went up to one of the officers directing the searches.   
  
"Excuse me," said John, "but how many bombs have you guys found in here, if any?"   
  
"One. We've got a feeling there's a second, but we're not sure where. You're welcome to help out."   
  
"Thanks."   
  
They searched for about an hour. They simply couldn't find it. Tommy's mind flipped between the fact that there didn't seem to be another bomb in the building and another oddity.   
  
_"She's not here…and she never mentioned anything about being off today. This is getting very weird…!"_   
  
They continued searching for the bomb. Tommy took a look around a large girder in the middle of the area. It was one of several, so nobody had gotten to it yet. He kneeled down and looked at the point where the girder met the floor. It was an I-beam girder, so it had a recess along its entire length. Tommy looked around it…and found the bomb.   
  
"John! Got it!!"   
  
"Hang on!" John rushed over to join his friend. "Where?"   
  
"Right in this little corner of the I-beam."   
  
John smiled. "Good work, man. Let's see…oh, crap…!" John stared, wide-eyed.   
  
"What's wrong?"   
  
"This…this thing's timer says fifty seconds!"   
  
"Oh, fifty seconds. FIFTY SECONDS!!?"   
  
"Forty-seven!"   
  
"Oh, boy…!" Tommy looked around, and then grabbed the bomb. Luckily, it wasn't anchored down. He took off running with it.   
  
"Tommy, have you lost it?!"   
  
"I've gotta get this thing clear!!" He sprinted for the rear exit. He hadn't seen anybody behind the building, so he hoped that it was safe. Being more thankful now for his workouts than he had ever been, he rushed for the exit as fast as he could. As he got out, he kept going, trying to put as much distance between the bomb and the building as possible. His guess had been right; there was nobody in back of the building. He hoped that the charge was merely for cutting through the girder and not for a wide-area blast. As the timer neared twenty seconds, he stopped.   
  
"I'll get those Hammerheads for making me crazy enough to do this!" He hurled the bomb as far away as he could, then did a 180-degree spin and ran back towards the building.   
  
John looked in the direction Tommy had taken off in with sweat beading up on his forehead.   
  
"Tommy!?"   
  
Suddenly, Tommy reappeared in the rear doorway.   
  
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!!!!!! FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!" He ran several yards in, then jumped to the side of the door and ducked. The bomb went off as soon as he hit the floor. Luckily, Tommy had also guessed right about the bomb's yield; it had only been a weak charge intended to cut through the girder, and the blast radius was very modest. No shrapnel was released by the explosion, except for that of the bomb's casing.   
  
Tommy slowly got up. "…Whoa…I think I need a REAL vacation from this…!"   
  
"Are you okay?" came a voice from somewhere above him. Tommy looked up. It was a Zentraedi woman, but not Kina. He sighed.   
  
"I'll live. Thanks for the concern, though." He managed a smile.   
  
"No problem. Hey, wait a second…you look like…you wouldn't happen to know Kina Revdirgea, would you?"   
  
"Yes, that's right," said Tommy as he brushed himself off.   
  
"I'm Aivea Aiena, a friend of hers. You must be Tommy Rickenbacker."   
  
Tommy smiled. "Yep. You wouldn't know where she is, would you?"   
  
Aivea sweatdropped. "Actually, I was hoping you knew…!"   
  
Tommy turned pale. "What…?"


	20. The Word of a Soldier

Chapter Twenty: The Word of a Soldier   
-----------------------------------------------------------   
Kina's eyes slowly re-opened. Her memory was a bit hazy, but she could remember having a discourse with a pair of humans. After that, she drew a total blank.   
  
"Mmm…where am I?"   
  
The room she was in was Spartan in design, with four gray metal walls surrounding her. There was a window, maybe the size of Kina's face, set above her eye level in one of the walls. Kina slowly sat up on the mattress she was lying down on.   
  
"What is going on here?" She stood up with a frown on her face. "All right, I enjoy practical jokes as much as the next girl, but only when I pull them!" She thought for a bit. _"Let's see…I was at work…and then those two guys showed up…oh, now I remember! They were intruders, and I chased after them. Then, I ran into that armor, and…oh, God…!"_ Her face turned pale. "They kidnapped me!!"   
  
She rushed over to the small window. "Hey! Is anyone out there?!" She hit the wall a couple of times with the palm of her hand. "Hello?!" She now started to panic, and hit the wall with the bottom of her fist. "Hey, come on! Please!!" Tears began welling up in her eyes. "This really sucks!!"   
  
_"…I guess our cargo's awake…"_   
  
Back at the base, Tommy was talking to Aivea. John was also there.   
  
"She had an…accident yesterday. Nothing incredibly serious, but the foreman made her pay for it by assigning her janitor work," said the Zentraedi woman. "It's happened before, and I always call her when it's over to make sure she got home okay. She…didn't answer the phone. I figured she had gotten really wiped out and fell asleep really quick. Then, she didn't show up today, and…"   
  
"…You knew for certain something was wrong," finished Tommy. "I wish I knew anything more about it."   
  
Aivea sighed. "I'm really worried about her. Say, you don't think that…it had something to do with the bombs that got set around the base, do you?"   
  
Tommy gave this some thought before responding. "It IS possible. She was working late at night…that would've been the best time for the bombers to try anything."   
  
"Yeah, it's pretty much the first rule of covert ops: do it at night," said John.   
  
"Good point," she said with a frown, "but I don't see how they could've gotten her."   
  
Tommy rubbed his chin. "…How?"   
  
"Hmm?"   
  
"How they could have done it. Wait…they would've had a plan in case something went wrong, right?"   
  
John nodded his head. "Probably. Not much, maybe one or two variable fighters or powered armors."   
  
Aivea cocked her head, and then gasped. "Are you guys saying that…maybe she ran into the backup?"   
  
Tommy gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to say it, ma'am, but yes."   
  
"I doubt they would've KILLED her, though," added John. Both Tommy and Aivea looked at him with cocked eyebrows. "Allow me to explain. It's messy enough cleaning up after whacking a human. It's even worse for a Zentraedi. I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt that they would've had that kind of time on their hands."   
  
Aivea brightened. "I think I get it. They would've knocked her out somehow…but how do you knock out someone our size?"   
  
John smirked. "U.N. Spacy missiles can be fitted with sleeping gas warheads instead of explosives."   
  
Tommy nodded. "They're pretty cheap as well, so they could have gotten a hold of plenty."   
  
John stood up. "I'd better get going. I'll catch you later, Tommy. Nice to meet you, Miss Aiena."   
  
"You too," she said with a smile. John left. Tommy looked down at the ground.   
  
"Those pieces of…" he muttered.   
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. Just…I wish I could've done something to prevent it."   
  
"I understand. I know that you and Kina were…ARE past the friendship stage." Tommy could only give her a wistful smile. "I hope she's okay…"   
  
"I'm going to bring her back."   
  
Aivea looked at him. "What?"   
  
"I said, I'll get her back. I don't know how yet, but I'm going to do it."   
  
Aivea's eyes shone. "You mean it?"   
  
Tommy sighed, then put on his best military-style attitude. "Yes. On my word as a U.N. Spacy officer, I will find her."   
  
Aivea chuckled a little. "Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better. I know you're just saying that, but…"   
  
"No, I'm serious. I don't have a clue how yet, but I WILL find her."   
  
Aivea looked at him. "You really are serious. Wow…now I know what Kina saw in you. You really believe you can pull it off?"   
  
"If I look hard enough, I'll find a way. It's just a matter of time…and perhaps luck…"   
  
Somewhere in the Sweetwater asteroid belt…   
  
_"WHAT?! The fuses were all screwed up?! How could our men BE that idiotic!?"_   
  
_"It would seem, sir, that all of them somehow got conflicting information as to how long to set their timers. Only one bomb went off at the correct time."_   
  
_"Hell's bells…remind me to kick the crap out of whoever was put in charge of that. They made us look like fools! What about the woman who was taken prisoner?"_   
  
_"Just arriving now, sir."_   
  
In her room, Kina was sitting on the mattress, pouting.   
  
"This is so stupid! I can't believe I let myself get stuck like this!" Her stomach began to growl. "Aw…and I'm hungry, too! Why me…?"   
  
Suddenly, a rectangular part of one of the walls slid open, revealing a doorway. Two Zentraedi men in Hammerhead leather jackets entered.   
  
"All right, come with us."   
  
Kina looked at them. "Who are you people? Why did you kidnap me?"   
  
"Because killing you would've been too messy. Now move, lady!"   
  
Kina crossed her arms and turned up her nose. "No way, Jose! Not if you're going to be mean to me!"   
  
One of the men sighed. "All right, we'll play it the hard way." They stepped out of the door, and a VF-4 Lightning III in Soldier mode walked in, with a gun pod in hand.   
  
Kina gulped. "Uh…come on, is that really necessary? Look, I'll just stay in here the whole time, not bothering anybody! How does that sound?"   
  
The pilot of the Lightning spoke over the internal loudspeaker. "No, YOU look. Either you move right now, or I shoot you in the head. How does that sound?"   
  
Kina sweatdropped, and her face lost all its color. "Um…really, really violent?"   
  
"MOVE!!" Kina didn't need further prodding. The guards led her through a series of corridors before reaching a large cellblock. They opened one of the doors, and ushered her in. The room was a lot better than the one she had been in previously in terms of space, but it was still quite Spartan.   
  
"You're not really going to keep me here, are you?" she whined. "It's not fair!"   
  
"Oh, put a sock in it!" The guards closed the door and locked it.   
  
"You don't have to be so mean! What did I ever do to you?!"   
  
The guard gave her a snide smirk. "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, sweetie. Have fun." With that, the guards left.   
  
"Wait!! You can't leave me in here! This isn't fair; I wanna go home!!!" She started to cry. "Come back, please! WAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
Meanwhile, back at the base, Tommy and John were in the locker room.   
  
"Hey, Tommy?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"I never got to say this. I'm sorry, man. About Kina."   
  
Tommy chuckled. "Don't be. I'm going to find her."   
  
"Oh, that's good-what the hell did you just say?"   
  
"I promised Aivea that I would bring her back."   
  
John stared at him for a couple of seconds, then suddenly reached out and hit Tommy on the back of the head.   
  
"OW! What the hell was that for?!"   
  
"For being dumb enough to make a promise like that! What were you thinking?! I know you care about the poor girl, but come ON!!"   
  
Tommy scowled. "I'm going to do it. I just have to find a way!"   
  
John looked Tommy dead in the eyes. "That's enough. Listen to me. First, we don't even KNOW the exact location of the Hammerhead base, assuming that they took her there! Second, do you really think that we could get a mission to rescue her sent through the Commander? Granted, it could go through, but I doubt he'd be willing to risk pilots for one civilian!"   
  
Tommy glared. "Then I'll go alone!"   
  
"That's the third thing! If you just went without authorization, your career would be history! I can NOT let you do that to yourself, even if it is for the sake of another!"   
  
"I don't care, damn it! I love her, and I'm going to save her!"   
  
John groaned. "You're not going anywhere, do you get me?! I mean this as your best friend AND as your superior officer: Do the right thing and forget about it! Do you read me, Ensign?!"   
  
Tommy scowled and looked down. He then slowly met John's eyes again. "…Loud and clear, sir."   
  
John's expression softened. "That's better. Look, I'm not trying to say that I don't think Kina deserves to be rescued. I'm saying that you have to be realistic!"   
  
"…I know. I'm sorry, John." Tommy managed a small chuckle. "I guess I did get a little carried away."   
  
"No need to apologize. You're an honorable man, and any honorable man would want to come to the rescue of his lady. But it's impossible in this case, Tommy. I'm sorry, but it is." John extended his hand. "Still buds?"   
  
"Always, man." Tommy shook John's hand.   
  
"Good. Let's get going, we're going to be late for the briefing again."   
  
At the Hammerhead headquarters, Kina was sitting down on the bed of her cell.   
  
_"This is such a disaster… Tommy, you've got to come and save me. You've got to…because you're the only one who can…!"_


	21. Change of Heart

Chapter Twenty-One: Change of Heart   
-------------------------------------------------------------   
"Dude, I can't STAND it anymore…!"   
  
Kina was still lamenting her capture quite vocally.   
  
"...I can never get a break! Never! Just when I find a really nice guy and really start to get things together, THIS happens…!" She sobbed over and over again, the noise assaulting the ears of the guards.   
  
"She just won't knock it off! I'm going to go batty soon!"   
  
The other guard sighed, then went up to the door. "WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"   
  
Kina jumped, and then started to cry again. "…And now you're yelling at me!! WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"   
  
"That's it! I'm going to kill her right now!"   
  
The other guard grabbed his comrade. "Wait, wait! It's not worth it! It's not worth it!"   
  
Kina's sobbing grew in intensity.   
  
"…It's worth it! Give me the damned keys NOW!"   
  
"No! The boss will have our heads!"   
  
"Then find a way to shut her up that won't make her cry MORE!"   
  
The other guard went up to the door.   
  
"Miss? Miss?!" he said in as nice a voice as he could manage. "Please stop crying! You're destroying our sanity out here!"   
  
Kina slowly calmed down. "I…I'm sorry, I didn't know."   
  
The guard at the door smiled. "There, you see. Catch more flies with honey and all that."   
  
"Yeah, sure. …And if she starts crying again, I'm going to shove this gun down her…"   
  
Kina suddenly started crying again. "I heard that! WAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!"   
  
The guard at the door smacked his comrade in the head. "Nice job, Einstein!"   
  
"I didn't know! How could I have known…!?"   
  
Meanwhile, back at the base…   
  
"Pilots, an important development has arisen. We have managed to narrow down the possible locations of the Hammerhead headquarters to only four potential places in the belt. We have a recon flight out there now trying to make the final determination. Let's listen in, shall we?"   
  
The Commander pressed a button on the table, and a radio transmission came in.   
  
_"This is Alpha Six-Two. We're approaching the Gamma Sigma Epsilon series right now. There doesn't seem to be anything out there. No enemy contacts at all; just lots and lots of rock. Wait…now picking up something funky on the I-band scanners…we may have something here, Control!"_   
  
Every pilot present leaned forward a little.   
  
_"…Radar imaging showing some kind of structure on the surface of one of the asteroids. I think we just found Hammerhead City, sirs!"_   
  
Suddenly, an alarm could be heard.   
  
_"Oh, hell, we've been found out!"_ A mixture of warning klaxons and panicked voices filled the background of the transmission. _"We've got incoming missiles! Tons of them! Attempting evasive maneuvers!"_   
  
Tommy scowled. _"Filthy…"_   
  
_"We can't avoid it! The missiles are gonna hit!"_   
  
"Alpha Six-Two, give us your position! Quickly, now!" cried Commander Ironsides.   
  
_"Our position is…right over Gamma Sigma Epsilon SF2000-"_ The transmission suddenly cut out. The Commander sighed, then turned off the comm system and faced the pilots.   
  
"There are only three SF2000 series asteroids in the GSE sector. We are going to send a squadron in to make a last determination, and once we do, we hit them hard. That is all."   
  
As they filed out, Tommy wore a heavily dejected look on his face. John walked beside him.   
  
"I know what you're thinking, pal. I'm sorry, but like I said before, forget about it."   
  
"I know, I know. Don't worry about me."   
  
John smiled. "Eh, I guess I shouldn't fault you for wishing. Let's go and grab some grub; I'm starving!"   
  
After reaching the mess hall for the second time that day (and determined to actually FINISH their meals this time), they sat down together.   
  
"I swear, if anyone or anything interrupts me from my eating this time around, I'm going to shoot them," said John.   
  
"I hear that," replied Tommy. "Let's just finish up so we can get out of here."   
  
They laughed and ate, but John did not know that Tommy's smile was still somewhat forced. Deep down, he had not accepted John's explanation of things, although he understood that John had only good intentions. Of course, Tommy also knew what road was paved with good intentions.   
  
_"If I could sacrifice myself to save you, Kina, I would…"_   
  
Suddenly, an announcement came over the air.   
  
_"Hello? Hello?! Is this stupid thing on?"_ It was a voice that neither John nor Tommy recognized, but the nasal tone made both men cringe. _"We'd just like to thank you for the lovely present you military morons sent us. We'd also like to comment on how simple it was to hard-wire into your joke of a secured intercom network. You people really need to learn some new tricks."_   
  
"Those pieces of…" growled Tommy.   
  
_"Anyway, this is a warning to you simple-minded fools. Do NOT make any more attempts at trying to locate our base, as they will meet the same fate as the last one. Not that we don't enjoy blowing you saps out of the stars, but it's really doubtful a backwater base like yours can afford to lose many more pilots. We'll miss their screams of agony, though. Bottom line: Keep your noses out of our business. Tootles!"_   
  
John slammed his fist down on the table. Normally, the sudden action would've startled Tommy, but he was too filled with rage himself to notice.   
  
"Arrogant sons of…"   
  
They finished their meal and walked back to the locker room. Their duty shift was nearly up. As they changed, John kept avoiding looking Tommy in the eye. Tommy noticed this immediately.   
  
"What's wrong, John?"   
  
After a long pause, John finally met Tommy's gaze.   
  
"I'll do it."   
  
Tommy blinked. "What do you mean?"   
  
"You KNOW what I mean. I'll do it. I'll go to Hammerhead City with you."   
  
Tommy's eyes grew wide. "You will? What about all that stuff you said?!"   
  
"I forgot about something, Tommy. If somebody doesn't teach the 'Heads a lesson soon, they're going to keep on hurting people. And when he mentioned 'screams of agony', I remembered one other thing. They often torture prisoners they keep. Kina is NOT safe there!"   
  
Tommy scowled. "If they so much as touch her, I'll-"   
  
"Hold it, Tommy. This isn't going to be something we can just pull spontaneously. We have to wait for an opportunity."   
  
"Opportunity my butt! If you're right about the torture, we have to get her out of there now!!"   
  
John groaned. "Are you nuts? This isn't the Sharon Apple incident we're talking about here! We're not saving a whole goddamned planet, you know? Why else do you think that goofball Dyson is still in the service?!"   
  
"Point taken, but we still can't afford to wait for too long!"   
  
John thought for a second. "Okay…remember how Commander Ironsides said that they're going to send in a squadron to make a for-sure determination of the location of the Hammerhead base?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"I could volunteer Cavalier Squadron for the job. We could get us some of those NP-BP-19 FAST packs, the kind they use on VF-19s. They'd give us the edge we need."   
  
Tommy nodded. "I like it, but how do we actually go in?"   
  
"THAT…is the part I don't know about yet. We may even have to make that part up when we get there."   
  
Tommy sighed. "I just hope Kina can hang on until then…"   
  
At the Hammerhead base…   
  
_"Sir, two men wish to see you."_   
  
"Oh? Send them in."   
  
The two guards stumbled into the room.   
  
"Sir, please, you have to do something about that woman!"   
  
The man with sunglasses raised an eyebrow. "You mean the prisoner?"   
  
"Yes, sir! She won't shut up!!"   
  
"…Excuse me?"   
  
"That's just it, sir! After we got her in there, she just started crying, and she won't…stop!"   
  
"And everything we do to shut her up makes her cry louder!" said his comrade.   
  
"It's got to be some form of counter-torture, sir! We can't take much more of it! Please, don't make us guard that woman!!!!"   
  
The leader sweatdropped. "Very well, then. I will talk to her personally." He took off his sunglasses, revealing dark brown eyes. "And I guarantee you, she will not pose any more problems after I am through…"

--------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: In response to wandering swordsman's review: The reason for the use of the VF Rocket Sleds in Chapter Three was not because their Valkyries couldn't make it through the atmosphere without them, but because variable fighters are extremely vulnerable during unaided re-entries (remember how the YF-19 almost got toasted by those defense guns when it entered Earth's atmosphere in Macross Plus?). The Rocket Sleds increase the speed of the re-entry and provide armor protection to the VF as it enters, giving the pilot a better chance to survive the entry phase of a space-to-surface assault.


	22. Shining Wings

Chapter Twenty-Two: Shining Wings   
---------------------------------------------------------------------   
"It's time."   
  
John had been successful in getting the squadron assigned to the mission. As Tommy walked out to his FAST pack-equipped Thunderbolt, his brow was dotted with sweat.   
  
_"This is it. There really is no turning back now…I can do this!"_ As he climbed into the cockpit, he looked over at John's aircraft. John had already closed his canopy. John turned his head in Tommy's direction, and gave him a thumbs up. Tommy smiled, and gave John a salute. He then got his TLS helmet on and closed his canopy.   
  
The Sweetwater asteroid belt was close enough to the planet to allow for a VF to reach it without needing a support platform. However, it was still a long enough trip that it would be insane to expect the pilots to be able to stay awake for the whole flight. After setting in a predetermined waypoint sequence on the autopilot, all twelve Cavaliers activated a timed gas system that allowed the pilots to sleep during the trip. Tommy turned his on with some trepidation, as he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to permit himself to relax at all. However, once the sleeping aid took effect, he found the relaxing sensation to be more welcome than he had expected.   
  
Meanwhile…   
  
"So, this is it? Very well. Guard, open the cell."   
  
"But, sir, I-"   
  
The man lowered his sunglasses. "Ahem…?"   
  
"Right away, sir!" The guard slowly opened the door, and his superior entered. Kina was still crying, and didn't notice anything at first.   
  
"Um…pardon me? Hello?" Kina didn't look up. He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly.   
  
"Huh?! What?! Aah! Who are you?!"   
  
The man took off his sunglasses again. He wore the same leather jacket/uniform as the rest of the Hammerheads, but his was much more stylish than the others. Five white bands encircled the sleeves.   
  
"My name is Var Bekran. I am the leader of the Hammerheads."   
  
Kina wiped the tears from her eyes. "Leader?"   
  
Var rolled his eyes. "Um…commander, head honcho, guy in charge, how many more synonyms and equivalents do you need?"   
  
Kina put her hands on her hips. "Hey! That's not very nice!"   
  
Var sighed. "I apologize." This made Kina raise an eyebrow. "I've been under a lot of pressure lately. Let's just call it…family problems. Anyway, to business."   
  
Kina gulped. "You're not going to…"   
  
Var regarded her for a second, and then his eyes bulged. "GAH! No! Jeez, my mom would have my head…!" He mumbled the last sentence.   
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"Nothing! I'm here to try and get you to stop driving my men crazy."   
  
Kina blinked. "What?"   
  
Var shifted uncomfortably. "It's sort of hard to-" Suddenly, another soldier came rushing down the hall.   
  
"Sir! Sir!"   
  
Var turned around. "What is it?" he said, exasperated.   
  
"Sir…we've got a problem. It's…your mother."   
  
Var turned pale white. "No…she isn't VISITING again, is she?!"   
  
"Negative, sir." Var's face regained its color. "But she does want to talk to you. Now, sir."   
  
"Now?! You're kidding me. Please say you're kidding me!!"   
  
"I'm not, sir. Sanders is putting it on audio now."   
  
Var gulped. "No, not now! Ix-nay on the audio-ay! Ix-nay on the-"   
  
_"Var?! Where are you? Are you off playing games again? I'm your mother, for crying out loud! Why won't you talk to me anymore!? Don't you love me?!"_   
  
Var slowly shrank down into a corner, his face blood red. Kina didn't say anything, and just watched him.   
  
_"…and this is the thanks that I get?! How could you do this to me…"_   
  
Var made a gesture to one of the soldiers, who nodded and rushed off.   
  
_"…for eighteen years, my son! Do you hate me? Is that it! I'm your mother, you can TELL me these things-"_ The transmission cut. Var slowly stood up, his dignity partially restored. Suddenly, a stifled giggle broke the silence. It was Kina. She bit her lip to avoid losing it, but failed and started to chuckle. The chuckling grew into full laughter, and the laughter grew to sidesplitting magnitude.   
  
"I don't…believe it…!" she managed to choke out between laughing fits. "The guy…behind all the problems…we've been having…is a mama's boy!!" Tears streamed out of her eyes, and she grabbed her sides. "It's…just WRONG!"   
  
Var's visage grew darker every second. "You…you…KILL HER!"   
  
The sight of weapons pointed at her stopped Kina's laughing. "AAAH!!! Don't, please!"   
  
"…Wait! Never mind." He walked right up to Kina, and looked her dead in the eyes. "Get this straight. I am NOT a mama's boy! Since when is it a crime to care about one's mother?!"   
  
Kina sweatdropped. "Okay…I take it back, cool?"   
  
"Frozen. Guard!"   
  
"Yes, sir?"   
  
"I'm all done here. Lock the door behind me, will you?"   
  
"Right!"   
  
As he walked out, he looked back over his shoulder. "Oh. And if you must cry about something, please keep it down. The men can't stand it."   
  
A few hours later, the effect of the sleep gas wore off, and all the pilots were awake.   
  
"Whew…that was a nice nap," said Blue 3.   
  
"Everybody up and around?" said Red 1.   
  
All twelve pilots checked in.   
  
"I dreamed that I actually came back from this one," said Green 2.   
  
"Okay, that's enough of that," replied Red 1. "We're coming up on the danger zone now. Everybody start scanning. Watch yourselves!"   
  
"This is Blue 1," said John. "I suggest one flight scan each asteroid. We can find it quicker, and there'll be less traffic to get caught up in once it comes time to bug out."   
  
"Well, Blue Leader, doing this was your idea, so I suppose there's no harm in letting you pick the way we'll do this. Take your boys and make a run over SF-2000-A. Green Flight gets SF-2000-B, and we'll take the last one."   
  
"Roger that." Blue Flight broke off. As they turned towards the asteroid, they increased speed as much as they could without going too fast to pull into a safe orbit. They scanned the surface with their sensors, going for as wide a scanning radius as possible.   
  
"Nothing. It's completely…hold it!" cried Tommy. "I've got something. Vector two-five-zero."   
  
Everybody looked over. The outline of a base was visible on the horizon.   
  
"There it is…All Cavaliers, this is Blue 1. Hammerhead City spotted on SF-2000-A. Repeat, their base is on SF-2000-A, Gamma Sigma Epsilon sector!"   
  
_"Roger that, Blue Leader. Good work."_   
  
"We're pulling back to-" Suddenly, contacts appeared all over the radar. John's eyes went wide. "Bounce! It's a bounce! We've got…damn, about ten contacts…no, fifteen! Fifteen contacts headed for us! Get your butts over here!"   
  
_"Understood! We're on our way!"_   
  
The Hammerhead group charged in, all Renegade powered armors.   
  
"This isn't going to be easy…" said Tommy.   
  
"We can't escape. We're going to have to fight until we can get away from them!" snarled John. "Get as many as you can!!"   
  
The battle that followed was intense. Tommy had missiles after him almost before he could blink. He made a sharp turn to avoid the incoming attack, flares dropping all the way. The missiles exploded behind him as they struck the flares. Tommy then got a lock on the nearest Renegade. He waited for the tone, and sent four missiles after it. One missed, but the other three struck dead center and destroyed the armor.   
  
"One down!" he cried.   
  
"Keep it up, we've got to get enough down to get away!" replied John. He had another armor dead in his sights, and opened fire with his gun pod. The bullets pierced the body of the armor, causing it to smoke, then burn, then explode. "And another one bites the dust!"   
  
_"Sorry we were late!"_ That was Red 1. The rest of Cavalier Squadron entered the battle, missiles leaving the racks of nearly all of the incoming U.N. fighters. Several Renegades were struck, either exploding instantly or receiving debilitating damage. The odds turned against them, the Hammerhead machines began to fall.   
  
"That's another!"   
  
"Renegade shot down!"   
  
"Eat that!"   
  
"Ooh…wouldn't want to get shot there, dang!"   
  
After about 75 percent of the enemy vehicles had been destroyed, a new problem emerged…   
  
"This is Blue 4. My radar's out!" cried Tommy.   
  
"So is mine," said Blue 3. Every pilot confirmed this.   
  
"There must be a jamming field coming from the base!" said John. An alarm sounded in his cockpit again. "Oh, hell…I've got a singer low at 4 o'clock. They were saving some defensive emplacements when we got close enough!" The alarm rose in pitch. "Singer high! Missile alert!!" John quickly made a break turn avoid to dodge the approximately 20 missiles headed his way. Most of the other pilots had to dodge as well. Suddenly, something odd happened. Another volley of missiles lifted off, but instead of targeting one of the U.N. Spacy aircraft, they simply flew up into the flight and detonated in a blinding flash.   
  
"Flash missiles!" shouted Green 1. "They're trying to blind us!" More flash missiles lifted off.   
  
John switched his comm system to a secure channel.   
  
"Tommy?"   
  
Tommy received the signal and switched. "What?"   
  
"This is the chance. We've drifted to within ten miles of the base. On the next flare detonation, we go."   
  
"…I read you."   
  
The flare missiles reached their predetermined height, and detonated, releasing another blinding flash.   
  
"NOW!" shouted John. The two pilots turned towards the Hammerhead base, and pushed their throttles to maximum speed.   
  
Tommy took a deep breath. _"Alea iacta est…"_   
  
"'The die is cast'. We really have crossed the Rubicon now…" said John with a sigh.   
  
Tommy nodded. "But…will we make it back…?"


	23. Hammerhead City, Part One

Chapter Twenty-Three: Hammerhead City, Part One   
-------------------------------------------------------------------------   
The Thunderbolts raced on towards the base.   
  
"Exactly how do we get in, John?" asked Tommy. "I don't see a docking bay!"   
  
"…There! That vent in the rock surface. It's big enough for a VF to fly through. How many missiles do you have?"   
  
"Just two, not counting the packs."   
  
John chuckled. "That'll do. I'm same. We use them on the vent cover, then slip in using Soldier Mode."   
  
"Got it." They both locked onto the cover, and fired their missiles. The four deadly projectiles found their target and blew the cover into shards. The Thunderbolts transformed into their humanoid configurations, and came to a hover over the now-open vent.   
  
"I'll go in first," said John.   
  
"No, I think I should. Kina's my girlfriend, after all."   
  
"Point taken. Go ahead." Tommy's VF-11 descended into the vent, followed by John's.   
  
"We'll have to move quickly once we break into the main facility," said John. "Unless we get REAL lucky, we'll have to cause an atmosphere breach to get in, and they'll be able to detect the vacuum forming."   
  
"Okay. Let's just hope we can FIND a way into the main facility from here." They approached the bottom of the vent. Tommy's fighter landed, and walked forward, allowing room for John's. The vent had widened here, enough for both machines to walk side-by-side. They headed forward for several hundred yards, eventually coming to a T-junction.   
  
Tommy groaned. "Damn it! I was worried about this!"   
  
"Relax. Let's just pick directions and go with them."   
  
"And suppose we end up going in circles?"   
  
John sighed. "Maybe if we never pick the same direction twice in a row, that won't happen."   
  
"Works for me. Let's go!"   
  
They turned left at the first junction, then right at the second. Another left, and they came to a dead end.   
  
"John…!"   
  
"I didn't know! How could I have known?!" John's VF-11 walked right up to the wall and kicked it. The impact tore away a chunk of the wall, revealing several wires and circuits.   
  
"Hey, way to go, John!"   
  
"Oh, will you give me a break?!"   
  
"No, I meant it. Maybe we can use those wires for something."   
  
John sweatdropped. "Oh…well, in that case…" John's Thunderbolt positioned its arm near the exposed circuitry. A panel opened, and several small manipulators emerged. John pressed a button on his instrument panel, and a viewing window appeared on the HUD canopy.   
  
"I'm checking it out. If we're lucky, maybe this will turn out to be a door or something."   
  
The manipulators reached into the hole made by the kick and the camera feeds showed John a perfect view of the wiring.   
  
"What's the verdict, John?" asked Tommy.   
  
"…It's an airlock…sort of. I can tell from the wiring. The other side of this wall has got to be inside the main building. If I open it up…we'll be able to get in, but they'll know about it because of the sudden pressure loss."   
  
"Couldn't you disable the alarms?"   
  
John took another careful look, then sighed. "Nope. Not possible. It's all related to the airlock in here. Sorry, but it looks like we'll have to run it. Maybe there's a way to minimize it."   
  
"Meaning…?"   
  
John rolled his eyes. "Meaning we both will be long gone by the time anybody comes to check it out. Get ready." The manipulators opened to reveal a pair of mini-shears. They hovered over the wires in an almost tentative fashion. "Let's see…which is the sweet one…?"   
  
_"Please, God, don't let him cut the wrong one…!"_ thought Tommy.   
  
The manipulators stopped at a yellow wire. John pressed a button on his control stick, and the shears cut the wire. Immediately, the wall lifted away, and air began blowing forcefully into the corridor.   
  
"It's open!" cried John. "Go! Go now!" Tommy's VF-11 immediately leapt through the open airlock. John's quickly withdrew its manipulators and followed. They both landed in a dark hallway.   
  
"Let's get down the hall!" The two aircraft rushed through the hallway, John leading this time.   
  
A very short while later…   
  
"Sir? Sir?!"   
  
Var looked up from his computer screen. "What is it?"   
  
"A report from Operations. They've detected an atmosphere leak in Section B-10."   
  
Var blinked. "Atmosphere leak? From what, an attack by those fighters that showed up?"   
  
"No…according to the operations officers, it was an airlock from the vents."   
  
Var sighed. "Did you send in the security?"   
  
"Yes, sir. They didn't see anything, but are guarding the workers sent in to re-seal the breach…"   
  
Meanwhile, somewhere inside the base…   
  
_"Hey, did you hear about the open airlock?"_   
  
_"Yeah. They're still figuring out what happened. We'd better keep on our toes in any case."_   
  
_"Right. Well, my shift's up. I'm going to head down that way."_   
  
_"Okay. Remember, watch yourself…"_   
  
The young male Zentraedi turned the corner and walked down the hallway. As he did, he was unaware of the storage room door opening behind him. Thus, it came as quite a surprise when the butt of a gun pod made contact with the back of his head.   
  
John's Thunderbolt dragged the stunned Zentraedi Hammerhead into the room, shutting the door behind it.   
  
"Okay, Tommy. Get him in a good hold, and keep your hand over his pie-hole."   
  
"Right." Tommy's VF-11 held the Zentraedi from behind, with its left hand over his mouth. John bumped him in the face with his gun pod.   
  
"All right, you jacketed piece of filth, wake up!"   
  
The Zentraedi opened his eyes. Upon seeing John's Thunderbolt, he instinctively tried to call out, but that plan was thwarted by the large metal hand on his mouth.   
  
"Mmm! Mmm!"   
  
John scowled. "Don't try anything funny, understand? You speak in anything above a whisper, and you WILL regret it!" The Zentraedi nodded. "Good. Now, we want to know where the detention area is. Remember, quietly…!"   
  
Tommy's Thunderbolt removed its hand. The Zentraedi took a breath, and then spilled. "It's two levels down. But…you'll never make it down there! Our leader keeps that section guarded almost as tightly as his own office and personal quarters!"   
  
John chuckled. "Wanna bet? Thanks for the info. Now, this is going to hurt a little bit." He hit the Zentraedi over the head again, this time knocking him completely out. Tommy slowly lowered him to the floor.   
  
"This is going to be harder than we thought," said Tommy dejectedly. "How do we get down through the levels without getting spotted?"   
  
"I'm not sure…the only thing I can think of is that we leave the 'Bolts here and sneak in on foot."   
  
Tommy sweatdropped. "That's crazy! Too many of the guards and men are Zentraedi. We'd have to really pull off a sneak job to survive!" Tommy sighed, then brightened. "Wait…this place has to have vents going between rooms as well as to the outside, right?"   
  
"Yeah, for heating. But would they be big enough to fit a VF? And, for that matter, could they hold the weight?"   
  
Tommy grinned. "Only one way to find out." He looked around the storage room, and found a large heating duct running along the joint where the wall met the ceiling. "Jackpot!" His Thunderbolt went over to it and, hovering up on thrusters, removed the covering on the duct. Tommy then carefully maneuvered himself into the vent. He noticed that it was unusually tall; the VF-11 only had to duck down slightly to avoid tearing a gash in the top of the vent. Very fortunately, the bottom didn't collapse under the more than nine thousand kilograms put upon it by the fighter.   
  
"I'm right behind you, Tommy. Let's just hope they don't have one set of ducts per level." They carefully moved through the ducts. Eventually, they reached a vertical drop. They descended slowly, trying not to make more noise than was impossible to avoid. The drop seemed to go on forever. They didn't reach another horizontal corridor until it had seemed they should have passed about ten levels.   
  
"This is ridiculous," said Tommy. "I can't stand this…!"   
  
"Tommy, we've got more problems than just that. It's really grainy because of all the metal and such surrounding us, but I've been getting some ominous stuff from the regulation band. Tune in and listen."   
  
Tommy changed radio frequencies.   
  
_"…Final confirmation…for UNSS _California_…one point five hours…"_ The message was suddenly squelched entirely. Tommy's eyes were huge as he switched back to the frequency he was using previously.   
  
_"Dear, God…anything but THAT ship!"_ thought Tommy. He took a deep breath before speaking. "John, they're going to sic the _California_ on this base!"   
  
John nodded. "I caught that name, too. The only New Macross-class battle section in these parts right now. Nothing's going to survive once it gets here…!"   
  
"We've got an hour and a half, according to the transmission. We've got to get Kina out of here!!"   
  
"Calm down, man! We'll make it," said John in an easy tone. "Just keep your mind focused."   
  
"Right, right." As Tommy said this, they finally reached the prison level. They went through the horizontal corridor, and eventually found themselves looking out a grate into a room. It looked like some kind of control room. Oddly enough, there was only one guard on duty.   
  
"I thought that guy said this level was heavily guarded," said John.   
  
"Think he could've been lying?"   
  
"Dunno, but we'd better do something quick, 'cause that guy's coming this way!" Sure enough, the single guard was moving under the vent. He stayed there for a couple of seconds, then returned to where he was before, muttering something about swearing he heard something under his breath. Tommy swore under his breath.   
  
"That was a little too close. How do we surprise the guy?"   
  
John thought for a second, then looked down the corridor. He noticed another grate, this one set in the bottom. He grinned devilishly. "I know. Hold on." He started moving towards the grate.   
  
"John, what are you doing?! You're going to blow our cover!!"   
  
"Just watch, and you'll get it." John went up close to where the grate was, and gave the wall several light raps with his Thunderbolt's hand. The guard immediately got up, rifle readied, and rushed over to investigate. As he did, Tommy knew what his role was. He carefully but quickly pulled out the side grate and hovered out into the room.   
  
"Who's in there?!" demanded the guard. He was completely distracted by the rapping and did not notice Tommy, who quickly took the initiative and knocked the guard silly with the pod stock. John's fighter then exited the vent and entered the room.   
  
"Well, that was different. Now, let's see where we are…" The room was full of computers and monitors.   
  
Tommy's eyebrows lifted. "I think this is supposed to be the security monitor room. Which means that someone else may come in any second. If we're to do something here, we should do it PDQ and get out!"   
  
"Look for any monitors that show the cells. We'll be able to find Kina." It didn't take them long to find the right computer screen. It showed a grid-like area, with a single block colored pink and all the others blacked out. A short ways off from the pink block was a large rectangle filled in with a teal and a gold star in the center…an obvious "You are Here" sign.   
  
"That's got to be it, John. It's not far. Let's go!"   
  
"Wait! It can't be THIS easy! Check the hallways first."   
  
Tommy's VF opened the door a crack and peered outside with its optics. To Tommy's horror, there were about five guards in the hallway! There weren't any windows into the monitor room, so they had not been spotted yet.   
  
"Oh, hell…there's no way we can get out of here without getting caught!" cried Tommy.   
  
"Oh, yes there is…!" chuckled John. "Check THIS out…" He pressed a button on one of the control panels. Immediately, the lights went red, and an alarm started buzzing like crazy.   
  
"What did you do?"   
  
"Fire alarm! They'll be clearing out in droves now!"   
  
Tommy laughed. "Nice one, John!" He again opened the door a crack, and found the hallway deserted. "It's clear! C'mon!"   
  
They left the security room and headed over to the cells. It didn't take them long to make it to where Kina was held. The cell had an electronic lock on it.   
  
"It's sealed tight…I'll just smash it," said Tommy as his Thunderbolt raised its gun pod. John's stopped him.   
  
"Now, now, that's not necessary. Watch and learn, my friend." John activated the manipulators again. This time, he had one with a data probe on it. He inserted it into a hole on the side of the locking mechanism. It came to life and began sifting through the combinations.   
  
"Come on, baby…give daddy the code…c'mon…got it!" The lock beeped, and a click could be heard.   
  
"Way to go, man!" They opened the door. Immediately, Kina saw them and cried out.   
  
"AAH! Leave me alone!"   
  
Tommy quickly turned up the volume on his loudspeaker. He wanted no mistake. "Kina, it's me!"   
  
"…Tommy?" She focused her eyes a little. Sure enough, the fighters before her had U.N. markings. "It's really you!" She immediately rushed forward, startling Tommy slightly. She put her hands on the shoulders of the Thunderbolt.   
  
"Kina…"   
  
She held up a finger. "Shh. You don't have to say anything. I knew I'd be rescued, and I knew it was going to be you."   
  
Tommy smiled. "I'm so glad you're okay…"   
  
Kina opened her mouth to say more, but John interrupted her. "Excuse me, guys. I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion, but it won't mean anything if we don't get out in about an hour."   
  
Kina blinked. "What does he mean?"   
  
Tommy didn't want to say, but he didn't have much of a choice. "The U.N. Spacy is going to bring in one of its ships, the _California_. It's a New Macross battle section."   
  
Kina looked at him quizzically for a second. "New Macross…?" She brightened. "Oh! Aren't those the battleships that tow colonies, and have that really big gun?" The color then drained from her face. "Tommy, please don't tell me that…!"   
  
"Yeah…they're gonna lay waste to this base with the _California's_ Macross Cannon…"   
  
Kina gulped. "Oh, my God…!"   
  
"The only way to survive is to get the hell out of here," said John. "Let's hurry!"


	24. Hammerhead City, Part Two

Chapter Twenty-Four: Hammerhead City, Part Two   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------   
The three began moving down the hallway. Kina was partially hiding behind Tommy's Thunderbolt, as John covered their rears.   
  
"How did you guys get in here, anyway?" said Kina with a slight quaver in her voice.   
  
"The ventilation system," said Tommy. "Only way we could have a chance at getting in without being spotted."   
  
Kina nodded, then raised her eyebrows. "Wait a second…how are we going to get out, anyway?"   
  
John chuckled. "Certainly not the way we came in. I doubt you'd want to crawl through ducts…and there'd be no way for you to get up the levels, either."   
  
Kina sweatdropped. "But…but how, then?" Tommy opened his mouth to say something when two figures appeared ahead of them in the hall.   
  
"Hey! What the hell are you two doing with that prisoner…wait, those aren't Hammerhead fighters! Get 'em!"   
  
"Oh, no!" cried Kina as the guards leveled their weapons.   
  
"Kina, get down!" shouted Tommy. "Quick!" She did so as the guards opened fire on the two VF-11s. The corridor was so tight that neither Tommy nor John could effectively get out of the way of the incoming fire, so they raised their anti-projectile shields to block the incoming light lasers. Luckily, they held the blasts at bay.   
  
"Let's see how you handle THIS!" Tommy opened up with his gun pod. As he did, Kina immediately clamped her hands over her ears. The bullets took down both guards very quickly.   
  
Tommy laughed. "Clean and quick! Perfect!"   
  
John called him on the radio. "Tommy…?"   
  
"What?" Tommy's fighter turned around. As he faced John, his Thunderbolt made a nod in Kina's direction. Tommy immediately looked, and gasped. Kina was sitting on the floor with her hands still over her ears, almost hyperventilating. Tears were forming in her eyes.   
  
"Oh, God…Kina? Kina?"   
  
"I…I can't do this," sobbed Kina.   
  
Tommy put his gun pod on the ground and kneeled the fighter. "Kina…look at me. Please, look at me."   
  
She slowly looked at the Thunderbolt. "Tommy…I'm so frightened…"   
  
"It'll be okay. I'm right here now. Everything's going to be okay."   
  
The tears now flowed freely. "You've got to get me home…I want to go home…!"   
  
"You will. You will!" said Tommy in a tone that managed to be firm and kind at the same time. "I'll die before I let them get you, Kina."   
  
"…Really?" She wiped the tears from her eyes.   
  
Tommy chuckled. "Damned right." Kina couldn't help but laugh a tiny bit at that.   
  
"My funny knight in shape-changing armor…!" she giggled.   
  
Tommy smiled, then extended one of the VF-11's hands. Kina took it, and Tommy helped her back up. As they stood again another guard, a Lightning III variable fighter, came charging down the hall. It aimed its gun pod, and Tommy knew whom it was going for.   
  
"Oh, hell!" Just before it fired, Tommy put his anti-projectile shield right in front of Kina's body. The shots bounced off the super-strong shield harmlessly. Kina gasped.   
  
_"…Wow!"_   
  
John followed up on Tommy's defensive action with his own offensive one. He opened up his FAST pack launchers, and sent four missiles right into the Lightning. The explosion ripped the enemy aircraft to shreds.   
  
"Smoked 'em! Ha!"   
  
Surprisingly, Kina didn't panic this time upon the attack.   
  
"That was a little close. Are you going to be okay, Kina?"   
  
Kina managed a small smile. "I think so. But we'd better hurry."   
  
They continued through the corridors, eventually reaching an elevator. Inside, polka music emanated from above them.   
  
Kina made a face. "Ugh! These people have no taste whatsoever!"   
  
"I'll get it for you." Tommy extended his bayonet and rammed it through the speaker in the roof of the elevator, silencing the awful music. Kina gave him an arch-eyed smile.   
  
"Thanks! That was getting annoying!"   
  
John, meanwhile, was trying to guess which floor would contain what facilities. Tommy and Kina walked over to him.   
  
"So, where should we head, John?" asked Tommy.   
  
John sighed. "It'd help if we knew what was on what floor…but I think our final goal should be the hangar bay."   
  
Kina blinked. "Why there?"   
  
"Kina, can you pilot powered armors?"   
  
Kina nodded. "Yes, but…" She sweatdropped. "Oh. Oh, no. No way!"   
  
"It's the only way, Kina," said John with a sigh.   
  
"But…I've only piloted construction armors…and I'm not even any good at those!"   
  
Tommy turned to her. "Don't worry. We'll keep you safe."   
  
Kina sighed. "It's not that I don't have faith in you, it's just…I'm not a soldier. I've never even HELD a gun, let alone shot one!" She looked down, and actually chuckled. "Guess I'm a lousy Zentraedi, huh?"   
  
Tommy smiled. "Not at all. You're just a gentle one."   
  
Kina looked up and blushed a little. "Thanks, Tommy."   
  
John cleared his throat. "Ahem…Luke, Leia? No offense, but could you save it for after we live through this mess?" As he turned around, Kina stuck her tongue out at him. Tommy saw it, and barely suppressed a laugh. Kina winked at him.   
  
John sighed. "Well, you know what they say about a journey of a thousand miles, right?"   
  
"Um…it's really, really hard on your feet?" said Kina. Now Tommy wasn't able to stop the laughter.   
  
John shook his head. _"Amantes sunt amentes…"_ He turned back towards the row of elevator buttons. "They say that it begins with a single step." With that, he pressed a random button. It lit up, and the elevator began to climb. Much like back in the vents, it seemed to take a bit too long to pass a floor. Eventually, the elevator bell rang, and the doors opened.   
  
The hallway was clean, with white walls all around. Lockers adorned the walls. Kina was a bit confused, but Tommy and John knew where they were.   
  
"This must be where the pilots go to suit up," said John. "Not bad, considering it's a pirate base. Well, let's try again."   
  
"Wait!" said Tommy suddenly. "This is a good thing. We forgot one crucial detail: military armors don't have a self-contained oxygen supply."   
  
John sweatdropped. "ACK! You're right, she needs a TLS suit!"   
  
Kina raised an eyebrow. "A what suit?"   
  
Tommy turned to her. "TLS. Tactical Life Support. It's a cross between a spacesuit and a G-suit."   
  
Kina brightened. "Oh, those!" John sighed quietly. Suddenly, a voice sounded from down the hall.   
  
_"Who's there? Hello?"_   
  
Kina gulped. "Uh-oh!" she whispered.   
  
"Into one of the rooms, quick!" said John. The three immediately rushed into one of the side changing rooms as a Zentraedi soldier appeared at the opposite end. The soldier slowly walked down the hall.   
  
"What do we do now?" asked Kina.   
  
"We could just pop him and be done with it," said John.   
  
"I don't think that's a good idea. We don't know what else might be around." Tommy sighed.   
  
Kina suddenly brightened. "I know! We could distract him; catch the guy off guard!"   
  
"That's a good idea, Kina. I've got just the plan, too." Tommy's Thunderbolt moved to the door. Turning up the volume on the loudspeaker, he cleared his throat and spoke. "Uh…sorry about that!"   
  
The guard stopped, a little confused. "Uh…sure, no problem…is everything okay in there?"   
  
"Yeah, yeah! Just can't keep these stupid bottles in place, you know?"   
  
"Bottles?" The guard's eyebrows lifted. "What bottles?"   
  
Tommy chuckled. "These damned vodka bottles!"   
  
The guard smiled to himself. "You know, perhaps maybe…I could help out?"   
  
_"Gotcha…"_ thought Tommy. "Sure, that'd be fine!" Kina covered her mouth to avoid giggling.   
  
"Okay, I'm coming in," said the guard.   
  
John and Tommy moved to the sides of the door. The unsuspecting guard walked through the door…and was instantly seized.   
  
"Got the sucker!"   
  
"Hold him down!"   
  
"Hey, Kina, can you pass me that piece of cloth?"   
  
The bound and gagged guard struggled on the floor, effectively neutralized. Tommy and John rifled through the lockers, trying to find a spare suit. Kina just watched the door for any other guards, occasionally turning a somewhat pitying eye to the bound guard.   
  
_"Sorry about that, guy, but we can't afford to mess up now!"_ she thought.   
  
"Found it!" cried Tommy. "Kina?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"We found a spare suit. Here." He walked over and gave the suit to Kina. It was in the same black and steel-gray colors as the Hammerhead aircraft. Their shark insignia was on the left shoulder.   
  
"Great! I'll go change…uh, where's the changing room?"   
  
John's Thunderbolt pointed to a side room in the wall. "I think that's one."   
  
"Right. Guard the door, will you?" She hurried into the room.   
  
Tommy smiled. "We will. And don't worry. If John peeks, I'll shoot him myself!" They both heard Kina's laugh come from the side room.   
  
John chuckled. "You're such a joker, Tommy."   
  
Tommy's VF-11 faced John's. "Who said it was a joke, John?" John sweatdropped.   
  
It took a few minutes for her to exit the changing room, dressed in the TLS gear.   
  
"Sorry I took so long, guys. Aivea was right, I should cut my hair a bit…!"   
  
"No problem," said Tommy. "What's next, John?"   
  
"We should get back to the elevator ASAP. Let's go." They started to exit the room. Just before they could, though, three Zentraedi pilots showed up at the door. None of them were armed.   
  
"Hey, what in the-"   
  
Tommy quickly shoved the speaker away with his gun pod, knocking him and his comrades into the wall opposite the door. One guy slumped down, but the others shook it off and got up again. John's VF-11 punched one guy in the gut, and then in the jaw, sending the Zentraedi sprawling. The other guy tried to tackle Tommy's fighter, but Tommy sidestepped at the last moment and the man ran right into the wall. It wasn't sufficient to knock him out, just to anger him.   
  
Kina had been staying back, not wanting to get struck by a stray blow. However, when Tommy dodged the tackle, the male Zentraedi found himself standing right in front of Kina. He snarled, throwing any potential for being chivalrous out the window. Kina whimpered.   
  
"Eh…good boy…go home now!" He advanced on her, fury burning in his eyes. Tommy turned to try and help, but he was suddenly grabbed from behind by the third Zentraedi and was unable to get free in time.   
  
"Kina!" he cried. "Do something, don't stand there!"   
  
She gulped, then clenched her right fist. "I'm really sorry about this!" She suddenly closed her eyes and punched the man right in the jaw. To the surprise of everyone still conscious, the blow leveled him! Kina stared with huge eyes and an equally huge sweatdrop on her head.   
  
"Great shot, Kina!" said John as he took care of the last Zentraedi with a kick from his Thunderbolt's heavy foot.   
  
Kina still stared. "I really did that, didn't I? Ouch…poor guy, that must've hurt like hell!"   
  
Tommy laughed. "Doubt it. He's OUT!"   
  
"Point taken," said Kina with a raised eyebrow. "Must be from all the lifting I was doing…" She sighed.   
  
"Well, let's get back to the elevator and get out of here now!" said John.   
  
The next elevator ride was up only a couple of levels. The wait still grated on all of their nerves, but at least they wouldn't be stuck listening to polka music.   
  
"Hey, Tommy?" asked Kina.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I wanted to ask you something…forgive me if this sounds weird, but would you answer me as a soldier?"   
  
Tommy blinked, then smiled. "Sure. Shoot."   
  
"How do you do it? How do you keep from…thinking about the men that you have to take the lives of?"   
  
Tommy sighed softly. "Soldiers have been asking themselves that since the beginning of history. I'm really not qualified to answer, but…I don't know. I suppose it's the cost of failure. If the U.N. Spacy fails in its efforts, the entire human and Zentraedi races will pay the price. It's not much of a reason, but…" He looked down in his cockpit.   
  
"I see…so you're fighting to protect." She smiled at him.   
  
Tommy smiled back. "I suppose I am."   
  
The bell rang again, and the doors opened. This time, there was no doubt; they were in the hangar bay. Unfortunately, it was quite crowded. The group made their way to the back of a large crate near the elevator.   
  
"What do we do?" said Kina. "This place is crawling with those guys!"   
  
John sighed. "It's time we stopped screwing around and got busy, I think." He looked around. Over in a corner of the hangar, he spotted a Queadlunn-Rau armor. "There! There's a Queadlunn in that corner of the hangar that Kina can use."   
  
Kina looked over. "Nice…but how do I get to it? I can't just walk up…!"   
  
"Oh, yes you can. Watch me." John moved back from them, and transformed his fighter to GERWALK mode.   
  
"John, what are you doing now?"   
  
John chuckled. "Giving them one hell of a nasty surprise!" He popped out from behind cover and fired a few pack missiles at some of the stationed fighters and fuel tanks. Obviously, the resulting explosions inflicted heavy damage.   
  
Tommy groaned. "John, please don't get yourself killed!"   
  
"Don't worry! We need to provide a distraction so that Kina can take the armor!" Tommy nodded, and stepped out around the corner. Opening up his own FAST packs, he fired several missiles at a pair of Renegades that were about to power up.   
  
He turned back to the emerald-haired woman. "Kina, get ready to run over there. Be FAST, okay? Our frequency is Band 330. It's at about 550 megahertz."   
  
"Okay. Please be careful!" She headed to the opposite corner of the crate they were behind. Tommy kept firing on the Hammerheads, while John used rapid movement to provide a juicy target for them.   
  
Kina took a deep breath. _"Here goes the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life!!"_ She rushed out from behind the crate and headed for the corner of the hangar. A couple of laser shots passed by her, but nobody chased her. She paid special attention to the floor, as there were human crewmen down there and she did not wish to step on anyone, even if it was a Hammerhead soldier. She stepped gingerly around the crowds.   
  
"Pardon me! I've got an armor to catch! Ooh, watch your heads!" As she reached the armor, she quickly went around to the back and pressed a button. One of the few things she did know about armors was how to open them up. She quickly climbed into the combat machine.   
  
"Okay, let's see…" She pressed a button that looked like a generator starter, and the weapon came to life. The viewscreen showed her the outside world, and all the displays lit up. Quickly, she tuned the radio dial to around 550.   
  
"Tommy? Can you hear me?"   
  
Tommy answered immediately. "Yes! You're in, I take it?"   
  
"Sure am, but this thing is weird…I've never piloted these things, but I've seen the inside of them before…this Queadlunn-Rau has been messed with, I think."   
  
John caught that. "How so?" he said whilst dodging return fire.   
  
"It's all…I dunno…tuned up." She decided she should go back to the crate where Tommy was holding off the Hammerheads. She tried to thrust over there, but she misjudged the power behind the thrusters and went rocketing forward at breakneck speed.   
  
"AAAHHH!!!" She barely stopped in time to avoid slamming into Tommy.   
  
"Kina, are you okay in there?"   
  
She took a couple of breaths before responding. "Yes…I'm fine. That was scary!"   
  
"It'd seem you were right about them having modified the armor. Do you think you could give us a bit of help? I've got to go get John's sorry hide out of the fire."   
  
"Uh…you mean covering fire, like in those old action movies?"   
  
"Yeah. Try those big triple-barrel lasers in your forearms. Be especially watchful for any missiles that get sent our way."   
  
"Okay, I'll do my best." Tommy headed off for John. Kina slowly stuck an arm around the side of the crate and gave the trigger a test squeeze. The pulse lasers fired a short burst, then quieted. "Hmm…they seem to be working fine…here goes." She fired again, this time in a more sustained burst. Having gained a little confidence, she aimed for an unoccupied aircraft and fired. It blew up nicely after a few shots. Suddenly, some fire came her way. She got back behind the crate with a small gasp.   
  
Meanwhile, Tommy had caught up with John, who was still using GERWALK mode.   
  
"Tommy, I was wondering when you'd show up!"   
  
Tommy laughed. "Let's get back to Kina, she's waiting for us."   
  
While this was going on, Var was in his command office with a soldier standing before him.   
  
"Sir, we have a serious problem. It would seem that some U.N. aircraft have infiltrated this base. I just got a report of a large firefight in Hangar Bay 1..."   
  
Var didn't say anything for a second, and then slammed his fist down on the table, startling the soldier. He then got up, and sighed.   
  
"That's that, then. Tell the boys to get MY Renegade ready in Bay 2. I've had enough of this." Var took his sunglasses off. "No more Mr. Nice Pirate…"


	25. Threat From The Dark

Chapter Twenty-Five: Threat From The Dark   
-------------------------------------------------------------------   
The three regrouped behind the crate. It had been nothing short of a miracle that they had not taken any damage yet.   
  
"Now what?" asked Kina.   
  
John sighed. "We've got to get outside without getting torn apart on the way. Won't be long before they close the bay off and seal us inside, either."   
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Kina as she stepped around the corner of the crate.   
  
"Kina, don't!" cried Tommy. As Kina left the cover afforded by the crate, she immediately came under fire from multiple guns and lasers.   
  
"AAH!" She rapidly ducked back behind the crate. "There is no way I'm doing that again!"   
  
John frowned. "There has to be some way we can get out. Maybe we could-" At that point, a huge explosion rocked the entire place. Kina shrieked in terror.   
  
"Oh my God!!!! They're trying to blast us out of here!!"   
  
"No," said John. "That wasn't them."   
  
Kina blinked. "How do you know…?"   
  
"John's right, Kina. That was WAY too powerful to be from one of them, and it seemed to come from every-WHOA!" Another blast rocked the area. Tommy suddenly gasped. "John, you don't think that…?"   
  
"I do. Checking!" John changed frequencies.   
  
_"…_Agincourt_, coming into firing position now…_California_ is approaching. …approximately five minutes. Tell _Manchester_ to…"_ John switched back.   
  
"What's going on?" asked Kina.   
  
"Those jerks! They're EARLY!!!!"   
  
Tommy scowled. "WHAT?!"   
  
"Who's early?"   
  
"The _California_. It'll be here in five minutes…and in the meantime, they sent some cruisers to do a little landscaping!"   
  
Tommy's heart sank. "Wonderful! Even if we got out, those big reflex missiles could take us out with their blast radius!"   
  
Kina sighed. "I'm sorry."   
  
Tommy turned. "About what?"   
  
"Sorry I got you guys into this. It's all my fault…!"   
  
"Hey, don't talk like that. There's got to be some way, we just have to find it!" Tommy put his Thunderbolt's hand on the shoulder of Kina's Queadlunn-Rau as another shockwave struck.   
  
John looked in the direction of the bay doors. The firing had long stopped. He narrowed his eyes.   
  
"I'd recognize the firing rate on the Northampton-class anywhere. If it's only the _Agincourt_ and the _Manchester_ out there, I'd say we've got about a minute before more missiles come this way. Care to take another big risk?"   
  
Tommy sighed. "Kina, if you're not willing to do this, I understand."   
  
"Actually…I think it's worth it."   
  
John smiled. "It's decided, then. Let's go!" They all rushed for the bay door. As they were about to leave, a pair of Renegades flew out in front of them. Kina's Queadlunn-Rau was ahead of the two U.N. Spacy fighters.   
  
"Oh no!" She panicked, and accidentally pressed a button on the control console in front of her. The all-mechanical arms of the powered armor suddenly shot out two the sides, and a pair of scythe-like blades unfolded from them. As she passed the Renegades, the blades sliced through the engines of both of them.   
  
"Whoa…" was the only thing she could say.   
  
Tommy chuckled. "Looks like there were more things added to that thing that just better engines, Kina!"   
  
"I guess so…now how do I put them away?" She pressed a couple of buttons. Eventually, she got the right one.   
  
John's Thunderbolt transformed into Fighter mode. "Let's get moving! The missiles will be plunging in any minute now!!" Tommy followed suit. The group quickly hurried away from the base as fast as they could go. As they escaped, a trio of VF-4 Lightning III fighters got behind them.   
  
"Bandits on our six!" cried John.   
  
"Our what?" said Kina.   
  
"We've got a few tailgaters," said Tommy. "What should we do, John?"   
  
"Keep going until I say to turn. We've got to get out of the radius of those missiles, or it won't matter whether we down those fighters or not!" John looked up. He could make out the drive flares of incoming missiles. "They've fired! Let's hit it!" All of them accelerated. Missile warnings blared at them.   
  
"John, they've got locks!"   
  
John took a deep breath. "Now! Turn hard!" They all turned away as several missiles came after them. Back at the base, the heavy reflex missiles suddenly detonated. Oddly enough, the explosion occurred several meters above the base, limiting the damage severely.   
  
"Help! What do I do?!" cried Kina.   
  
"Use your forearm lasers to shoot down the missiles," said Tommy as he was doing just that with his rear-firing laser. "Your targeting computer should take care of the finer points for you!"   
  
"Okay…here goes!" Kina spun her armor around, and fired. The shots were a bit wild at first, but the computer took over as Tommy had promised. It didn't take long to get rid of all the missiles.   
  
"I did it! …Now what?"   
  
"Fire back!" said John as he converted to GERWALK mode and pointed his aircraft at one of the Lightnings. John opened fire with his gun pod.   
  
"Let's see…" Kina pressed another button. A picture of a missile appeared in one of the display screens. A cursor appeared over the image of the Hammerhead aircraft on the viewscreen, and an audible beep sounded.   
  
"Okay, I've got him in my sights, and I'm hearing a beep. What now?"   
  
"Shoot!" cried both men at once.   
  
"Got it!" She pulled the trigger. About ten missiles fired from the engine pod launchers. The enemy evaded the first five, but the last five hit the tail end of the aircraft, tearing it in half and forcing the pilot to eject. Kina sweatdropped. "I actually got him…"   
  
"Good shot, Kina!" said Tommy as he got behind another of the Lightnings. He locked on with his FAST pack missiles, and fired four. The missiles all impacted the target, completely destroying it. "That's two down, one to go!"   
  
"I'm working on it, I'm working on it!" said John as he traded shots with his opponent. He changed to Soldier mode and charged at his opponent, dodging lasers and bullets all the way. He extended his anti-armor bayonet and swung it right at the Lightning's wing, slicing it clean off. He followed up by spinning back around to face the crippled aircraft and filling its tail and engines full of bullets. The Lightning quickly exploded.   
  
"That should be it now," said Kina. "We made it! Yay!!!"   
  
"It would seem that way," said John as he changed gun pod clips. "Let's hurry up and get back to our court-martial, Tommy."   
  
Tommy sighed. "Right, right…"   
  
"Court-martial?" said a confused Kina. "Why would you get a…oh, no. Tommy, you guys didn't…?"   
  
"Yes, we did. We weren't under any orders to infiltrate the Hammerhead base. We did this on our own, Kina."   
  
"You…gave up everything to help me?" Tears started to form in her eyes. "I…don't know what to say…!"   
  
"Yes…we did," said John. "But hey, I think it was worth it. We survived, after all."   
  
Tommy nodded. "John's right. We should be thankful that we still have our lives. C'mon, let's face the music together, okay?"   
  
Kina blinked away the tears, and smiled. "Okay…"   
  
_"Not so fast…!"_ came a voice.   
  
Tommy and John both tensed.   
  
"Who the hell is this?" demanded John. Suddenly, a burst of gunfire sounded from behind them. Instantly, they all scattered.   
  
_"Now, now, that's no way to talk to a VIP, methinks."_   
  
Kina suddenly gasped. "Hey, I know him!"   
  
John raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Who is he?"   
  
"His name is Var-"   
  
The man cut her off. _"Var Bekran. Commander of the Hammerheads. Oh, and did I mention that I have ninety kills?!"_ Another burst, this time of lasers. It was obvious Var was just trying to intimidate them.   
  
John scowled. "Come out and fight, coward!"   
  
_"You sure you want me to do that? Okay…here I come!"_ At first, nothing happened. Then, like a bat out of hell, a shape suddenly flew right at John's Thunderbolt, firing lasers all the way. John BARELY had time to avoid the attack.   
  
"Holy…!" cried Tommy. "John, are you okay?!"   
  
"Yeah, but it looks like this guy wasn't kidding about being an ace several times over!"   
  
Var laughed. _"Correct! Your prize is right above you!"_   
  
John looked up. Right above his Thunderbolt was a Renegade powered armor. But this Renegade was different from any John had seen before. It sported a larger backpack and bigger shoulders than the standard Renegade. Also, folded up on the forearms, were a pair of blades that made the ones on Kina's Queadlunn-Rau look tame by comparison.   
  
"Good God," said John, "the rumors were TRUE!"   
  
Kina blinked. "Rumors?"   
  
John scowled. "Lately, some outlying U.N. Spacy garrisons have been reporting attacks involving some kind of jacked-up Renegade model that moved like lightning…but I never thought I'd SEE it! We're in a lot of trouble!"   
  
"Oh, really, you think?" scoffed Var. "I can make it quick or slow, which would you prefer?"   
  
"Oh, shut your cake-hole!" snapped John.   
  
"Slow it is!" Var opened fire on John's Thunderbolt with a massive swarm of missiles. John tried his best to avoid them, but one managed to hit him in a leg.   
  
John swore under his breath. "I've been hit!"   
  
Kina gasped. "Oh, no!"   
  
"What kind of damage, John?" said Tommy.   
  
"Electrical systems are going a bit nuts, and Engine 1 is damaged, but I can still fly."   
  
Var suddenly chuckled. "Not for long!" Suddenly, the Super Renegade flew out in front of John's VF-11. John quickly tried to boost away, but Var was too quick. He fired his particle beams right at John's cockpit. John managed to get his anti-projectile shield in front, but the rapid blasts tore large chunks from it. John transformed to Fighter mode in an attempt to escape.   
  
"John, get out of there! He's better than all of us combined!!"   
  
John growled. "I'm trying to, but this damned engine isn't letting me get the speed I need!" Suddenly, Var fired more missiles at him. John turned again to avoid the shots, but a trio of missiles found their mark in his armor.   
  
"Ah! I'm hit, I'm hit again!"   
  
"John…"   
  
Suddenly, a large warning message appeared over John's HUD canopy: **TURBINE FAILURE.**   
  
John sighed. "Mayday. Mayday! This bird's had it!"   
  
Tommy's face went white. "EJECT! EJECT! EJECT!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed.   
  
"I'm trying, but the computer's acting too weird!"   
  
Kina was unable to take her eyes off the burning VF-11. "No…please…!"   
  
_"Come on, buddy…"_ thought Tommy, choking back tears. _"Get out…! GET OUT OF THERE!"_   
  
"Tommy…" said John in a resigned tone of voice.   
  
"John? John?!"   
  
"…I'm not going to make it. You know what you have to do."   
  
"…JOHN!!!!!!!" It was too late. John's Thunderbolt was enveloped in a fiery explosion, followed by a deafening silence.   
  
Kina closed her eyes. "No…" She began to sob forcefully.   
  
"John…" Tommy's eyes also filled with tears. "He's…really gone." Suddenly, he blinked the tears away, and set his expression in steel. "VAR BEKRAN!!! You're going to PAY for that!" he roared.   
  
Var scoffed. "Then come and collect!" He extended both of his forearm blades.   
  
Tommy readied his bayonet. This was going to be it, he knew. This was his final mission in one way or another.   
  
_"And I will not stop until one of us is dead."_   
  
Suddenly, Kina's armor floated up next to him.   
  
"Tommy!"   
  
Tommy turned. "Kina?"   
  
"I…I want to help you take him down."   
  
Tommy frowned. "I'd rather you got to safety…"   
  
"I know, but…you helped me. I want to help you. Please, Tommy."   
  
Tommy sighed, then nodded. "Keep those extra-sensitive eyes on him, okay? We can't afford to let him beat us the same way he beat John…"


	26. The Elegy of Winners

__

"Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." -Sun Tzu   
  
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Elegy of Winners   
-----------------------------------------------------------   
Tommy leveled his gun pod at the Super Renegade. He shut out the noise of the heavy missiles trying to break through the strange shielding on the Hammerhead base. All he wanted to focus on was the man in front of him.   
  
"Anytime you're ready, murderer," snarled Tommy.   
  
"Very well," chuckled Var. "Your funeral!"   
  
"Your mama!" Tommy opened fire with his gun pod. Instantly, Var boosted away. The movement was so fast, Tommy had trouble following it. Kina had him covered there, though.   
  
"Tommy, he's coming to our left!"   
  
"Gotcha!" They both whirled around and fired. Again, no hits. Var bobbed and weaved, avoiding every incoming laser and bullet.   
  
"I knew it. I've already taken down the only real pilot in your little group. You two are nothing but cannon fodder!!" Var opened up his chest-mounted missile launchers, and fired a swarm at Kina and Tommy.   
  
"Scatter!" They quickly blazed in opposite directions, missiles trailing behind both of them. Tommy transformed into Fighter mode to get a clean shot at the incoming projectiles with his rear-facing laser. He shot down most of them, then dropped flares to throw off the ones he couldn't hit.   
  
"Darn it!" Kina was trying to shoot down the missiles headed for her. "C'mon…c'mon…!" She kept shooting her rapid-fire lasers at the missiles, managing to get a few of them. As they closed in, she started to panic.   
  
"Tommy, help me! I'm going to get hit!" Suddenly, just before they struck her, bursts of gunfire intercepted the warheads and destroyed them. Kina looked over, and saw Tommy's Thunderbolt, back in Soldier mode. "Thanks…" she said with a sigh.   
  
"No problem. Where's Var-AAH!" Var's Super Renegade suddenly shoulder-checked the VF-11 from behind, sending the aircraft plummeting to the surface of the asteroid.   
  
"Tommy!" cried Kina.   
  
Tommy quickly took action, transforming the Thunderbolt to GERWALK mode. He kicked the machine's legs out to slow his fall, and brought it into a hover. He then whirled around, expecting Var to be right on him again. To his surprise, nothing was there.   
  
"Damn it! Kina, you see him?"   
  
Kina looked around. "No, I can't find him."   
  
"Try the radar."   
  
"Okay…there's this one little blip…and there's another one coming towards it really, really fast..."   
  
"Oh, hell…!" Tommy quickly picked a direction and rocketed off in it. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one. Var seemed to materialize right in Tommy's path, blades primed for action. Tommy had no time to turn away, so he did the only thing he could think of: raise his bayonet in an attempt to block the strike. The blades met harshly.   
  
"Not bad, rookie!" said Var. "Too bad you underestimated my Renegade's STRENGTH!" He shoved Tommy's VF-11 back, and then tried to run his blades through Tommy's cockpit.   
  
"No, you don't!" Tommy sidestepped the charge, and fired at Var with his gun pod again. Var easily dodged the attack, and readied for another attempt.   
  
"Say good-GOD!!!!!!" A swarm of missiles was headed right at it. Quickly, he boosted away and shot down the warheads, giving Tommy room to breathe for the moment.   
  
"Shoot! I nearly had him," said Kina.   
  
"Thanks, Kina!" Tommy tried to take advantage of Var's distraction by shooting at him with his gun pod, but the weapon's ammo was totally depleted. "Damn!" Tommy thought for a second, then transformed to Fighter mode and headed down to the surface.   
  
"Tommy, where are you going?" said Kina.   
  
"I need to get into a neutral corner, so to speak! Follow me!" Kina did so, quickly catching up to him as they reached the surface. Once there, Tommy changed to Soldier mode.   
  
"Keep an eye out for their illustrious leader, would you?" said Tommy as he hurried behind a rock spire.   
  
"Okay. He won't get past me." She aimed a forearm laser cluster towards the stars.   
  
Tommy hurried behind a small rock spire. As he changed clips, he stared at his radar screen. Nothing. He growled to himself.   
  
_"Either we're back in the jamming field, or this guy is even BETTER than we thought…!"_ He looked around, and sighed. "Kina, talk to me."   
  
"Let's see…oh, damn! He's disappeared again, Tommy. Sorry."   
  
"Don't worry about it. Even that enhanced Renegade model he has shouldn't be able to carry anything bigger than short-range weapons. He's going to have to show himself again if he wants to attack."   
  
"And believe me, I do," said Var with a laugh.   
  
Tommy scowled. "Damn! Where is he?"   
  
"…Above!!" cried Kina. But she was a bit late. Var streaked down at Tommy and slammed into his fighter again, sending it flying backwards.   
  
"AAAHHH!!!" Tommy's VF-11 hit the ground hard. The Super Renegade quickly closed the distance, blades extended. Var loomed over Tommy.   
  
"Only a rookie. Only a pathetic rookie…DIE!" He raised his right blade. Tommy closed his eyes and braced for the end. It did not come, to his shock. As he opened his eyes, he found Kina's Queadlunn-Rau standing there, with one of her own blades out. She had managed to cleave off Var's weapon.   
  
Var snarled. "You…!" He quickly turned on Kina, and tried to stab her with his remaining blade.   
  
"Ah!" She quickly boosted backwards to avoid Var. He chased after her as she did. Tommy quickly got back up.   
  
"You're dead, you foolish girl!" Var caught up to her and grabbed the Queadlunn-Rau by the arms in an attempt to disable the armor. However, Kina's machine was much stronger than Tommy's Thunderbolt, so she was able to resist the attack. However, she was too panicked to try and fire her own weapons at him.   
  
"Tommy! Get this psycho!"   
  
"Got him!" Tommy took aim with his gun pod, and fired. This time, Var was too distracted to dodge and took several rounds in the side.   
  
"AAH!" Var screamed with rage as bullets tore into his flank. "You piece of…you will NOT get that chance again!" He broke away from the two, attempting to set up another good firing position.   
  
Meanwhile, aboard the _California_…   
  
_"We're here, sir."_   
  
_"Excellent. What's the situation?"_   
  
_"The _Agincourt_ and _Manchester_ have been attempting a pre-bombardment with their missiles, but they both have reported their attacks being deflected by a shield, sir."_   
  
_"A pinpoint barrier set?"_   
  
_"…Possibly. If it is so, it would be inadvisable to use our Macross Cannon until it is taken care of."_   
  
_"Yes…because layered barriers can deflect it, and we'd have to wait five more minutes until we can fire again. Very well. Keep us back for now. Tell the controllers to let us know the moment that shield stops working."_   
  
_"Very good, sir."_   
  
Back on the surface of the asteroid, Tommy was trying to figure out a plan of attack.   
  
_"I wasn't able to hit him until he was distracted…and he didn't lose focus until he got angry. That must be it!"_ He grinned. "Kina!"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I've got it! I know how we might be able to beat this guy!"   
  
"You do? How?"   
  
"We have to get him mad. REAL mad. That's his flaw; he loses his concentration when he's ticked! Kina, you knew his name when he first showed up…do you know anything else about him we can use?"   
  
Kina thought for a second, and then smiled. "Oh, yes… Hey, Var!"   
  
"What do you want now? It's too late for last requests!"   
  
Kina scoffed. "Oh, I understand. You can't be out too late, or your MOMMY will worry!"   
  
Var's expression darkened severely. "What did you say…?!"   
  
"Oh, nothing. Just that I wonder if your MOM still asks if you have clean underwear!!"   
  
Var scowled. "…Shut up…!"   
  
Kina did no such thing. "Mama's boy! Mama's boy! Mama's boy! Var Bekran is a mama's boy!"   
  
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Var spun around and came right at her. "I…am…not…a…MAMA'S BOY!!!!!!!"   
  
Tommy moved in behind Var as he charged Kina. _"It's working…his anger is only letting him see Kina!"_ He fired another burst from his gun pod, hitting Var's Super Renegade in the back of the left shoulder.   
  
_"Ole!"_ Kina boosted aside, avoiding Var completely. She then quickly spun around, and fired her own forearm laser clusters at the rear of Var's machine. She scored a couple of hits in the engine section, but not enough to cause the engine to fail. Var managed to make a coarse turn and avoid slamming into the ground.   
  
Kina laughed. "Aw…poor baby! Do you need to call your mom?"   
  
"Yeah, maybe she can put a band-aid on that boo-boo!" jeered Tommy.   
  
"How…dare you!" snarled Var. "I am the greatest the Hammerheads have to offer! I am their undisputed leader! I will NOT BE MADE FUN OF!!!!!!!!!" He locked onto them with missiles.   
  
"Uh…think we might've gone a little far?" asked Kina.   
  
"Possibly," replied Tommy as they quickly dodged the incoming attack. Afterwards, Tommy found Var attempting to close the distance.   
  
_"You aren't catching me again, pal. Not with that many holes in your engine!"_ He hit the FAST booster and accelerated, actually pulling away from Var's damaged armor. Suddenly, a lock warning appeared on his screens.   
  
_"What? Who's shooting at me?"_ He looked around. A small missile emplacement was targeting him, and sent a barrage at him. Tommy took down the warheads with his rear laser, and whipped around. His sensors locked on both the emplacement and the small structure it seemed to be guarding. Shrugging it off, he fired several missiles from his FAST packs, destroying both targets. As he came off the kills, Var finally caught up to him.   
  
"DIE!" Var fired his autocannons and chest lasers at Tommy's Thunderbolt. Tommy quickly dodged and transformed to Soldier mode.   
  
_"Wow. We've done enough-he's really lost most of his touch!"_ Tommy returned fire with his gun pod, mixing in a few shots from his head laser. Var dodged, but it wasn't as swift anymore. Tommy could now easily follow the Hammerhead commander's motions with his own eyes.   
  
_"Captain!"_   
  
_"Yes?"_   
  
_"Sir, new report. It would appear the shielding system the base was using has failed, sir."_   
  
_"Great! Get the Macross Cannon warmed up now. We fire as soon as it is charged!"_   
  
Kina quickly flew up beside her companion.   
  
"Tommy, are you okay? I saw a big explosion!"   
  
"I'm fine, but Var's not. We're wearing him down."   
  
"Yes, I noticed that too. Let's take him down together!"   
  
Tommy smiled. "Right!" He looked around, spotting Var's Renegade above their position. "Hey, Var! I can't help but admit, you WERE a hell of a pilot. Too bad you're going down!"   
  
Var growled. "Never!" He fired more missiles at Kina and Tommy. Again, they dodged the attack with relative ease. "Grr…curse you!" He closed in as Kina and Tommy pulled away from each other.   
  
"You may not surrender, but you're still a mama's boy!" shouted Kina.   
  
"Shut up!" Var charged at her. Tommy quickly rushed into position and fired his gun pod, damaging Var's armor further.   
  
"Over here, murderer!" called Tommy.   
  
"I'll…I'll kill you!!" He now faced Tommy. As he turned, Kina backed away from Var and put several laser blasts into the back of the armor again.   
  
"Yoo-hoo! Var! Come and get me!"   
  
"What the hell is this, Monkey in the Middle?!" snapped Var as he turned on Kina once again.   
  
"Well, sort of, but THIS doesn't usually happen to the monkey!" Var turned towards Tommy again, expecting to find a missile barrage or incoming bullets. Instead, he got a nasty surprise. Tommy's VF-11 performed a full-on flying kick, landing the blow right on the Super Renegade's upper torso.   
  
"OOF!" Var's machine went flying backwards. Tommy transformed his Thunderbolt into Fighter mode.   
  
"It's time to finish this once and for all!" He took aim with his missiles.   
  
"No…this isn't happening!" cried Var as he tried to boost away. His flight controls were not working correctly anymore, and he was only able to fly a straight line away from Tommy.   
  
"Believe me. It's happening. This is for John!" The lock-on indicator slipped over the outline of the Renegade, and the lock tone sounded. There was no way he was going to miss this one. "You go straight to hell!!!" He fired. The missiles struck the entire bottom section and lower torso of Var's machine, sending it spiraling down towards the asteroid's surface.   
  
"I got him!" cried Tommy.   
  
"You got him!" cried Kina.   
  
"…WE GOT HIM!!!!!!! WHOO-HOO!" cried both in unison   
  
Var's armor crashed into the rock, sliding along the ground. For some reason, it did not explode, only skid to a stop. Its momentum carried it very close to the Hammerhead base.   
  
Var opened his eyes. _"Oh…hell!"_ He could tell that he was on his back. He also could tell that he was heavily injured. Looking up, he saw a large, humanoid object floating above him. Not a powered armor or variable fighter, he realized. No, it was far too large for that…   
  
_"We're charged, sir! Ready to fire on your command!"_   
  
_"Very well. Macross Cannon…FIRE!"_   
  
The gigantic particle beam sliced through the stars towards its target. Tommy and Kina saw it immediately.   
  
"Oh, God…it's the Macross Cannon! RUN!!!" They both boosted away from ground zero as fast as their vehicles could take them.   
  
Var watched as the bright red energy beam approached. He could only form one word from his mouth before it struck.   
  
"…Mommy…!"   
  
The Macross Cannon's beam devastated the Hammerhead base, vaporizing every last level and room. The crater it formed extended far from the site of the base, with a circumference tens of miles long.   
  
"Kina…? Are you okay?"   
  
"…Yes. I'm fine, Tommy." They looked back at the devastation.   
  
Kina whistled. "Yikes. Now that's what I call taking care of business!"   
  
"You should see what happens when it's used against ships." Tommy sighed heavily.   
  
"What's wrong, Tommy?"   
  
Tommy bit his lip. "John. I…really thought he'd make it out with us."   
  
_"I did!"_   
  
"I'm so sorry about what happened, Tommy."   
  
Tommy sighed again. "It wasn't your fault. If anything, it's mine. I was his wingman; I should have been there for him. But I wasn't…and he paid the ultimate price."   
  
_"They refunded it!"_   
  
Kina floated over to him. "I'll always be here for you, Tommy."   
  
Tommy barely managed a small smile. "Thanks, Kina."   
  
_"So will I, because I'm not dead, damn it!"_   
  
"Kina, did you hear that? Sounds like John…"   
  
_"Oh, for the love of…"_   
  
"Hey, you're right…oh, God. Tommy, over there! Look!!" Tommy looked. Not too far away, an escape pod floated over the asteroid's surface…a U.N. Spacy pod.   
  
"John?"   
  
_"Bingo!"_ They immediately flew over to the pod.   
  
Tommy gasped. "It's really you! But…how? We saw your VF-11 go up!"   
  
John groaned. "Ugh…don't remind me. The computer got its act together at the last minute and auto-ejected the pod. However, because it was so late, it wasn't the smoothest ejection. My leg's broken, and I distinct remember my head having a comfortable rendezvous with the side of the canopy."   
  
Kina barely held back tears. "I'm so happy…!"   
  
"So am I. Looks like your pod drifted far enough to keep you from getting hit by the _California's_ Macross Cannon. You don't have too much pride to be towed back, do you?"   
  
John laughed. "Tommy, I have no pride after what happened. I assume you killed the jerk."   
  
"Yeah. We did."   
  
John chuckled. "Well done. Well done! Now, please get my butt home…!"


	27. Epilogue

Epilogue   
--------------------------------------   
Two weeks had passed since Tommy and John had rescued Kina. Tommy stood before a large door, wearing his dress uniform. He sighed, and looked down.   
  
_"This is it. It all ends here…"_ Straightening up, he took a deep breath, and went inside. The room was vast, with a large series of desks in the center. Seated at the desks were several high-ranking U.N. Spacy officers, as well as Commander Ironsides. He walked up to the brass, stopped, and saluted.   
  
"Ensign Thomas Edward Rickenbacker, reporting as ordered."   
  
The admiral serving as judge nodded. "At ease, Ensign. This official inquiry into certain…actions taken two weeks ago has the purpose of determining the necessity of a full court-martial. Lieutenant Peterson should be arriving…now." Sure enough, the doors opened. John entered the room, sitting in a motorized wheelchair.   
  
"My apologies, sirs. Lieutenant Junior Grade John Nicholas Peterson, reporting as ordered." He saluted.   
  
"At ease, Lieutenant. Now that we are all here, let us start from the beginning…"   
  
As the inquiry moved forward, John and Tommy answered seemingly endless barrages of questions.   
  
"Ensign Rickenbacker, are you saying that the safety of this woman was more important to you than your career."   
  
"By leaps and bounds, sir."   
  
"You regret no part of that belief?"   
  
"No, sir…"   
  
"…Lieutenant, you say it is true that, at first, you were opposed to this impromptu rescue attempt. What made you change your mind?"   
  
"Because I was not seeing the whole picture, sir."   
  
"That's a fairly evasive answer, Lieutenant."   
  
"If I may be frank, sir, it is still the truth."   
  
"Very well…"   
  
"Ensign, you cannot deny that you used government property for personal reasons not sanctioned by your superiors!"   
  
"I deny nothing, sir."   
  
"And you understood the penalties that would come from such an action?"   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
"Then why did you still go through with it?!"   
  
"…With respect, sir, I have already answered that question."   
  
"Fine…"   
  
Sometime during the questioning, a beep emerged from an intercom in front of the presiding officer.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Admiral, Captain Fernandez is here."   
  
"Ah, yes, he requested to be present at these proceedings. Send him in at once."   
  
"Yes, sir." The doors opened, and an aged man walked into the inquiry chamber, holding a briefcase.   
  
"Captain! It is good to see you again."   
  
The captain chuckled. "You too, old friend."   
  
"You will have to state your name for the record before you can make any statements, Captain," said another admiral.   
  
"Sorry, sir. Fernandez, Captain Antonio L. Currently in command of UNSS _California_."   
  
Tommy blinked upon hearing this. _"So it really is him…!"_   
  
"Right. Now, you claimed to have extremely important information relevant to this hearing."   
  
The captain nodded. "Yes sir, I do. After we destroyed the Hammerhead base, we sent in some survey teams to scan the area. We found a small ruin right on the edge of the crater our cannon created. If I may, sir?" He held up the briefcase. The admirals nodded. "Thank you." He opened the briefcase, and produced several photographs. He gave them to the admirals.   
  
"Hmm…these are shots of the destroyed structure you mentioned?"   
  
"Yes, they are. We examined it, and found it to contain the remains of technology…associated with generating and projecting pinpoint barriers, sirs."   
  
"Ah. This was what gave the _Agincourt_ and _Manchester_ so much grief, then?"   
  
"Yes, it was. However, that is not the end of the story. We examined the wreckage closely, and determined that it was destroyed by missiles…U.N. Spacy missiles."   
  
The admiral raised an eyebrow. "I think I know what you're implicating, Antonio."   
  
The captain smiled. "Just keeping an important piece of evidence from being left out, sir."   
  
"…Very well. Ensign Rickenbacker?"   
  
"Sir?"   
  
The admiral handed the pictures to an MP, who handed them to Tommy.   
  
"Do you recognize these structures, Ensign?"   
  
Tommy looked at the photos carefully. "…I believe I do, sir. This building was being guarded by a missile turret of some sort. When I tried to destroy it, my sensors also targeted this building."   
  
"I see. To make absolutely certain, though, I shall order a check of the aircraft's flight recorder."   
  
The captain stepped forward. "I have one final thing to add, Admiral."   
  
"Go ahead."   
  
"Thank you. If that shield hadn't gone down, sirs, I don't know whether or not I would still be standing here. Now, I won't pretend to understand all the nuances of what happened with these young men two weeks ago. But I will say this: If it is true that the ensign here destroyed that shield generator, then I say he deserves a medal, not a court-martial…"   
  
After the inquiry had ended, Tommy went straight home. He threw himself on his bed.   
  
_"I need a serious break…"_ He sighed, and recalled an event at the base's loading area, before the inquiry…   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Tommy had taken a quick trip there, to see if Kina had settled back into her normal routine there. When he arrived, he could not find any trace of her. Before he left, Aivea caught up to him.   
  
"Tommy? That you?"   
  
Tommy turned around. "Yes, it's me."   
  
"Good! Kina wanted me to tell you that she's going to be gone for a few days. She doesn't know how long, but she'll be back."   
  
"Oh, okay. Thanks!"   
  
"Of course. Take care!"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
The next day, he was back on the base. He was headed to the commander's office. It seemed that the top brass had reached a decision. As he went in, his heart was racing.   
  
"Ensign Rickenbacker."   
  
"Sir." Tommy saluted.   
  
"At ease. Have a seat, son."   
  
Tommy nodded, and sat down.   
  
"The decision has been made, Tommy. They reviewed the flight recorder in the VF-11C you used. You did indeed destroy that shield generator. Needless to say, that's had an effect on the decision."   
  
"Sir?"   
  
"Don't worry, I'll get to the point soon enough. Whether it was an accident or not is irrelevant. You saved quite a number of lives, other than that of Miss Revdirgea. The bottom line is this…you and Lieutenant Peterson will not be brought before a court-martial."   
  
Tommy raised an eyebrow. He couldn't believe what he was hearing!   
  
"Hard to believe?" said Ironsides upon seeing Tommy's reaction. "It's true. Neither of you will be discharged from the service. However, you also will not escape punishment."   
  
Tommy sighed, and nodded. "I didn't expect to, sir."   
  
"Good. Ensign, your flight status is revoked for a period of four months. Lieutenant Peterson's is as well, but his time does not start until after his leg heals. He has already been informed of this."   
  
_"And I'll bet he's madder than a hornet,"_ thought Tommy.   
  
"You must be aware, though, that if something like this happens again, destroying three whole pirate fleets won't keep you in the service. That is all, Ensign. Dismissed."   
  
"Sir." He got up, saluted, and turned to leave.   
  
"Ensign," said the commander before Tommy could leave.   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
Ironsides gave a small smile. "I'm glad you three made it out of there alive."   
  
"…Thank you, sir."   
  
Later that day, Tommy and John were at the local seaport. Aivea had told them earlier that Kina was supposed to show up there that day, as she had gone to the planet's other continent.   
  
"I still cannot believe they're not letting the time it takes for this damned leg to heal count towards my grounded time!" grumbled John.   
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. But at least we didn't lose our jobs."   
  
"Yeah, yeah…oh, hey, we're here!" They stopped at one of the boat terminals. The place was set up more like an airport than a seaport, with terminal tubes leading to each boat. They stopped by the only attached one large enough to support Zentraedi passengers. They watched as they disembarked, expecting Kina to show up any minute. Surprisingly, she did not appear.   
  
"That's odd…" said John. "Are you sure this was where Kina was supposed to show up?"   
  
"Positive. Maybe Aivea got the time wrong…" Tommy sighed.   
  
"No, she was right," came a voice from behind them. They both turned around. It was Kina, wearing her usual T-shirt and jeans combination. However, something was definitely amiss.   
  
_"She…got herself micronized!"_   
  
John poked Tommy in the side.   
  
"Tommy, what the hell are you doing? That's your girl over there! Go get her, that's an order!" said John with a smile.   
  
"Aye, sir…!" He headed over to Kina.   
  
"Hi!" She ran up to him as he walked up. Suddenly, she slipped. "Ah!"   
  
"Kina!" Tommy ran forward, and caught her before she fell. "Are you okay?"   
  
"Yes. I guess some things never change, huh?" She wrapped her arms around him, and squeezed.   
  
"Uh…yeah, I guess not…" gasped Tommy. Kina hadn't been kidding about micronized Zentraedi retaining a strength advantage. "Uh…Kina?"   
  
"Hmm? Oh!" She let go of him. "Sorry!" she said with a sweatdrop.   
  
Tommy took in some air before responding. "It's okay." They looked into each other's eyes. By some fluke, they stood at the exact same height now. Their eyes were perfectly level.   
  
"You're giving up working at the loading docks?" asked Tommy.   
  
"Mm-hmm. I'm going to get another job, something a lot less boring." She laughed. "And hey, if it doesn't work, the micronization process can always be reversed…" She said this last part slyly.   
  
Tommy chuckled. "Well, you can be as you are now, or as tall as the sky. It doesn't matter, because I'll love you just the same."   
  
"Tommy…" They looked into each other's eyes again, and they drifted into a kiss.   
  
John smiled as he watched. "You're the man, Tommy…" Suddenly, a hand came down on his shoulder. Startled, John turned. It was Commander Ironsides.   
  
"Hello, Lieutenant."   
  
"Oh…hello, sir."   
  
Ironsides chuckled. "You know, Lieutenant, although you are currently off flight status, I would still like to know when you are going to send in your reports of the pilots under your command."   
  
John sweatdropped. "Uh…well, Commander…it'll take me a while to compile all the important data, but…I feel that Ensign Rickenbacker, for one, is going to be just fine."   
  
They both looked over. Tommy and Kina held the kiss for one more second, then broke it and smiled at each other.   
  
John sighed, and smiled. "He's going to be just fine…"

[Ending Theme: "Find A Way To My Heart", by Phil Collins]

__

Find a way to my heart, and I will always be with you  
From wherever you are, I'll be waiting  
I'll keep a place in my heart, you will see it shining through  
So find a way to my heart, and I will, I will follow you  
  
This journey's not easy for you, I know  
If your footsteps get too faint to hear, I'll go  
'Cause you know, questions are never that easy  
And never the same  
You have the answer believe me  
If you have the faith  
  
Find a way to my heart, and I will always be with you  
From wherever you are, I'll be waiting  
I'll keep a place in my heart, you will see it shining through  
So find a way to my heart, and I will, I will follow you  
  
Time may come, and time may go, I know  
If you should call out for me, I'll go  
But you know, there is a code to be broken  
I wrap it around  
Without a word being spoken  
Without a sound  
  
There's a reason I hide my heart  
Out of sight out of mind  
And when I find out just who you are  
The door will be open for you to..  
  
Find a way to my heart, and I will always be with you  
From wherever you are, I'll be waiting  
I'll keep a place in my heart, you will see it shining through  
So find a way to my heart, and I will, I will follow you…

Super Dimensional Fortress Macross and all related material is copyright Studio Nue and Big West. Macross Plus and all related material is copyright Manga Video.


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